


The Day the Curtain Falls

by rareID



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Court Martial, Explicit Language, F/F, Heaven vs Hell, Physical Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-19
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-03-31 08:24:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3970855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rareID/pseuds/rareID
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I used to be an angel.” Anna reiterates, testing the celestial cuffs around her wrists and neck. Elsa stares on, frowning as the demon searches for a weakness in her bindings. Anna looks up, a dark glint shining in her eyes. “Now I find comfort in the company of hell.” Angel/demon AU. Unrelated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Demons

**Author's Note:**

> This was technically made for my Elsanna One-Shot Collection, but due to the length I decided to split it into two parts and post it by itself.

The howling bark of laughter grates in Elsa's ears over the screeches surrounding her and she grits her teeth, swinging her quarterstaff in a wide arch. It flashes blindingly with every lower class fiend it strikes, celestial energy pulsing from the angelic weapon. The fiends shriek and wither, their weaker forms unable to prevent their auras from purifying and bringing their souls into the light.

The same painfully addictive cackle signature to the Fallen cuts through the air, loud and sharp, along with the howl of a voice reminiscent of peace itself.

Elsa's head snaps towards the sound, her eyes catching the sight of a large red beast with twin downward twisting horns and wings as black as sin holding up one of her comrades by a arm jutting out at a sickeningly wrong angle. Gritting her teeth, Elsa sends out a blast of white energy, turning the minor fiends around her into purified souls within a five meter radius. Wings as pure as snow flash into existence behind her and—with a forward jump and a hard beat of the solidified energy—Elsa launches herself at the devil's right hand.

Red eyes snap towards her, a demented smile twisting over the demon's lips to reveal sharp blood stained teeth as it drops the angel in it's grasp and leaps into the air, out of the way of Elsa's quarterstaff. Elsa wills her wings out of existence and digs her heels in the dirt, halting her momentum. She turns and, bracing herself, swings her staff upwards. The red demon grins madly as it's fist connects to the solidified energy of heaven, it's own tainted demonic energy pulsing out to cancel the purifying effects of the weapon. Elsa grits her teeth as the beast's downward force and power pushes her back, but she holds her ground.

The demon finds its feet, it's wings fluttering excitedly behind it. The beast towers a good two meters higher than the tall angel, but she stares straight into the thing's malevolent eyes. The darkness can't reside where the light reigns, and Elsa will ensure the beings of light keep their hold.

"What a strong little angel you are." The demon purrs chillingly, running a claw along the end of the staff. The thing shivers in delight, opening it's mouth and running a partially split tongue over it's front row of sharp, jagged teeth. "Your power tastes condensed; more potent than regular angels possess." It leans forward, it's eyes glinting with gut wrenching enjoyment. "You're among the ranks of the archangels. Tell me, sweet thing, under what discipline do you fall? You strike me as a vanguard, but for what order, I wonder?"

Elsa twirls her staff and dances circles around the stunningly agile demon, all her faster-than-sight strikes being blocked with equal strength. The demon never moves to counterstrike despite multiple opportunities, and it sets the angel on edge.

The demon almost lazily deflects all the attacks, it's glowing red eyes—flaked with black—boring into Elsa's as if the answer to the universe resides within her skull. Elsa hasn't a doubt in her mind that the demon would crack her head open like a egg in a heartbeat if it were possible to gain her knowledge through osmosis.

"What discipline do you represent, sweet thing?" The demon asks, it's sultry voice like a fiend trying to claw its way out of Elsa's chest. How can a voice so beautiful hurt so much?

 _Because it's a Fallen_. Elsa thinks, her teeth grinding. She swings again in another fast attack that takes less than a sixteenth of second to execute, something that even high ranking demons would struggle, and fail, to avoid.

The beast catches the staff, the smell of molten lava steaming from where it's leathery skin touches the pulsing pure energy. Elsa's eyes widen. Not even a fallen-angel-turned-demon couldn't have caught an attack like that without even so much as a wince. Just who was this thing before it fell?

The demon yanks on the quarterstaff, unwillingly dragging the angel a mere breath away from the creature's lower abdomen. A hand falls and grips Elsa's shoulder as she goes to jerk away, and her eyes widen as the demon hunkers down, trying to make them eye level. The archangel still has to look up to see the beast's face, but the difference is startling.

The smell of volcanic ash steams upwards from both the creature's hands, and Elsa's eyebrows furrow, confused. Higher ranking demons can offset celestial energy with demonic energy, but they never purposefully touch higher ranking angels for longer periods than they need to; if a test of forces, the light always wins.

"Tell me, sweet thing,"—the demon rumbles—"to what order do you owe your allegiance? You taste . . . familiar."

While Elsa herself has never 'tasted' in the manner the beast is referring, she knows that demons have the power to physically taste the energy and—in the case of humans—souls of the people they encounter. That this creature—who's been terrorizing humans and angels alike for several millennia—recognizes her energy signature, well, it's more than a little unsettling.

Elsa sees the fiends collecting, waiting for their master to feed them an angel, and tries to jerk away, but the demon merely tightens it's hold. The platinum blond flicks her gaze up, shocked to see all the beast's humour replaced by a intensity that sets her on edge. This demon is known for slaughtering without mercy and enjoying every moment of it, not strong willing an answer out of it's victims. That's Hans and it's lackeys jobs.

If the devil's right hand is flipping it's entire profile for this . . . Elsa's not going to get away with silence.

"Justice." Elsa grits, her shoulder throbbing from the demonic energy trying to seep into it. The demon's eyes widen, barely enough to notice. "I'm an archangel vanguard of Justice." Elsa says, hoping her full title will get the demon to release her . . . if it doesn't decide to kill her first.

"Hmm." The beast hums, leaning back. "I suppose they'd explain it." It murmurs indecisively, frowning as it's eyes flick to the fiends and middle class demons still gathering around it in a wide circle. Without warning the demon releases Elsa's staff and punches the angel in the face, too quick for her to follow. The beast's hand on her shoulder holds her firm even when she herself lurches backwards with the force, golden speckled silver blood dripping from her broken nose.

A wave of vertigo overcomes Elsa as the demon swings her up like a rag doll and slams her into the ground, cratering it. She coughs up blood and lets go of her quarterstaff but, without her energy keeping it solid, it disappears into thin air.

The demon booms a laugh, cocking back it's fist and slamming it into the angel's chest, cracking more than one of her ribs.

 _Who the hell_ was _this thing?_ Elsa thinks, sending off a potent, short-rang pulse of celestial force. The demon howls and leaps back, skidding to a stop on all fours. A grin splits its face, somehow pleased the angel was able to land a damaging blow.

"Is heaven trying to bring me in for my _annual assessment?_ " The beast mocks, cackling in a way only the Fallen can – evil and seductively appealing all at the same time. "I thought you learnt from your prior attempts. After all,"—a dark glint lights the demon's eyes, and a cruel smirk twists over it's lips—"the last one heaven sent all those centuries ago went home in a body bag."

"You can't kill an angel." Elsa grits, pushing herself out of the crater and condensing her energy in her hand to reform her quarterstaff. The demon barks a condescending laugh.

"You can't kill a soul period, sweet thing. But tell me, how long did it take for you to repair the poor chap's aura? Was the taint so bad that he could remain pure but couldn't return back to his station for fear of him using too much energy and loosing it?" The beast mocks. Elsa clenches her jaw, memory of Kristoff returning home on the verge of his wings falling off from the taint surfacing to the forefront of her mind; it had been a struggle saving him. The demon, seeing the look in Elsa's eyes, howls in amusement. "You know, I waited for that dim-witted bastard to fall for two days after he got smart and transported home. I was almost hoping he got stupid and tried for me again so I could claim him as my own. Do you know what I could do with a Fallen in my ranks?"

Elsa _does_ know what this demon could do with another Fallen backing it, and it isn't pleasant knowledge; because this demon's strength coupled with another Fallen would be so destructive the entirety of hell would have to back the devil to defeat them.

That thought makes Elsa pause. Two regular Fallen angels would never have that kind of combined power. Yes, the angel this demon downed was just shy of being an archangel, but that would mean nothing against the devil. Just what does that mean this demon used to be?

 _And why, in heaven's name, do I think I can defeat it?_ Elsa thinks, wondering where her high ranking comrades are. She needs at least one of them to have even a chance of getting out of this encounter alive. She _could_ return home—which she wouldn't in the midst of a battle—or she could teleport to another area of the field only to be hunted down in minutes. Neither option is optimal, but neither is facing off against the devil's right hand alone.

The minor demons howl from the sidelines, all wanting a piece of the archangel. The elite demon grins fiendishly, demonic red energy characteristic of the Fallen raising from it's arms in a lazy, shimmering haze. Elsa nearly gags on the palpable stench of burning volcanic rock, so strong it makes her eyes water. She's never faced a demon with enough power to do that before.

Without a second thought, Elsa teleports to a different area of the field. "Mulan!" Elsa shouts, whacking a fiend away from her other woman with a flash of light and pressing her back flush with the other vanguard's. "I just escaped the devil's right hand,"—Elsa continues—"but it was powering up something nasty; we'll need two archangels to hope to survive, and four to keep it at bay."

"Was it fully transformed?" Mulan asks, her staff a blur of blinding light as she downs fiends, minor demons and middle class demons as easily as breathing.

"Full demonic height and complete body alterations with wings of the Fallen to top it off." Elsa confirms. Mulan frowns, never slowing her assault.

"We have two more vanguard archangels of Justice on the field along an army of discipline-less angels. If we pull the other archangels away from their stations the high demons will push through our ranks." Mulan says, slamming the butt of her quarterstaff into the face of a middle class demon, sending out a flash of celestial light that purifies its soul.

"If we don't that elite demon will raze through our ranks just as surely." Elsa refutes, sending a roundhouse kick into a fiend's face, the contact purifying it instantly.

"Four archangels can't take that thing down, and we'll lose if we try." Mulan says, her eyes flicking to the sight of the towering red demon with downward spiraling horns sprinting towards their position from the other side of the field, demons and angels alike being thrown out of it's way as easily as leaves.

"So we need to get rid of the high demons." Elsa says, calculating the elite demon's distance from her. "Tell the other archangels to focus their full attentions on the high demons. I'll keep the little red ball of sunshine busy for as long as I can."

"Elsa—"

"Just do it!" Elsa shouts, her wings flashing into existence as she jumps, taking to the air with a powerful stroke that sends her five stories above the ground. She releases her hold on her quarterstaff and it disappears, preparing herself for a much more desperate fighting style.

The elite demon's laughter reaches her ears as clear as day despite the distance and the raging battle around them, chilling Elsa to the bone. With two mighty beats of it's black wings, the demon takes to the air. Elsa turns tail and bolts right when the demon kicks itself into full speed. Elsa tries a series of complicated manoeuvres to try to throw the beast off her, but the demon's path holds true. A part of Elsa imagines the demon laughing at her – an inferior angel trying to best it, so she uses the only thing that gives her an advantage.

Flipping herself so she's flying backwards, she outstretches her arm, fingers splayed, and fires off a blast of blinding celestial energy. The demon spins out of the way, a grin splitting over its lips to show it's serrated, freshly bloodied teeth. The celestial energy hits the ground below, purifying whatever demons are caught by it.

Still trying to manoeuvre and avoid demonic energy being shot at her from the ground, Elsa continues to pump out bolt after bolt. The demon avoids every one, steadily gaining on her; but the closer it gets, the more sure Elsa's aim becomes. Yes the beast is fast, but not even it can avoid a direct blow to the face from half a meter away. At least, Elsa hopes it can't.

 _This was a_ stupid _idea_. Elsa scolds herself, still trying to fly in an erratic enough pattern to gain some more distance between her and certain death. _Yes_ ,—she replies back to her thoughts— _but it was the only option we had. Doesn't mean I have to like it, though_.

With a pained cry, Elsa starts spiraling. Shock flashes elite demon's eyes, but it follows the archangel's descent without mercy.

 _What, by Heaven's name, hit me?_ Elsa thinks, frantic. She does a quick scan of herself, finding black demonic energy hissing off her left wing. It had to of been thrown by at least a high class demon or else it wouldn't have affected her so badly. _This is just not my day_.

She crashes into the ground heavily, the breath knocked from her lungs. Not a second later the demon crashes on top of her, it's feet on her wings. Elsa _howls_ and releases the white extensions of herself, sending them into nonexistence. She thrusts her palm straight up, shooting celestial energy directly into the demon's chest. The beast scrambles away, screeching on a frequency Elsa's scared will make her ears bleed.

A high demon tries sneaking up on Elsa from behind. She spins and blasts it with enough energy to purify it's soul before the blow even lands.

Her face smashes into the ground, a large, heavy hand gripping the back of her head. Beside her ear a harsh voice rasps:

"Nice try, sweet thing – but you've got nothing on me." The elite demon says, making Elsa's golden flaked silver blood run cold.

With a _snap_ , the demon shatters her right elbow. Elsa screams, clawing at the ground with her other hand. She sends out pulse after pulse of potent but unfocused energy, purifying everything in a twenty meter radius except for the one thing she needs it to.

The elite demon emits a strained chuckle, the stench of volcanic ash flooding the surrounding area as the beasts pumps the air with demonic energy to protect itself.

"What a valiant effort." The demon says, the tension in its voice obvious as it tries to stay where it is. "Sadly, valiant never equaled victory." It cackles and touches it's leathery lips to Elsa's ear. "The good news, sweet thing, is that I still have a position open for a Fallen as powerful as yourself." Elsa's heart nearly stops.

"No!" She screams, trying to teleport away; but the demonic energy soaking the area prevents her from leaving. "No!" She cries, her voice going hoarse as she feels the first pulse of demonic energy trying to penetrate her body. "Oh, God! _Someone save me!_ " The demon pushes her face more firmly into the gravel. Elsa chokes; her mouth running dry and the faint taste of tainted, twisted peace and the higher molten lava of hell tingling on her tongue.

 _Oh God, no_. Elsa thinks, the blood draining from her face. Only demons can taste energy.

Elsa pulses out celestial energy as hard and as thickly as she can, scrambling for purchase. The demon stains to fight the light trying to purify it, continuing it's effort to taint the angel beneath it.

Elsa's broken and damaged parts right themselves with a direct intent of energy, then she grabs the demon's hand on the back of her head with both of hers. Her wings flash into existence, tucked against her back, and she allows her body to sink partially into its heavenly form. She glows a blinding white and her figure itself starts dissipating. Her soul partially bared without restriction burns the demon's hand with the familiar smell of volcanic ash and the thing howls, ripping it's hand away.

Flipping onto her back, Elsa sends her fist into the beast's abdomen; celestial energy flashing on contact. The creature doubles over top of her, howling loud enough to make her deaf if she were fully formed. With a swift uppercut to the jaw accompanying another blast of white energy, the demon rolls away from her.

Elsa springs to her feet and leaps far enough away to get herself out of the sphere of demonic energy. She spins, the sickening taste of the demon's power lingering on her tongue as a reminder of how powerless she is against this foe.

Already the red demon has recovered, eyes flashing with nasty hate as it glares at the angel from over it's shoulder.

"You think you can best me?" It snarls, turning slowly – hunched on all fours. "You think you can beat the devil's right hand?" The demon roars, turning heads from nearly a third of the vast battlefield. "You can never beat me!" It bellows, launching itself. Elsa never stood a chance.

Ringing fills her not-quite-formed ears, and she stares up at the fuming beast on top of her, wondering why it's so difficult to breathe.

 _Crunch_.

 _Well_ , _—_ Elsa thinks, more of her not-completely-formed bones cracking with every blow the demon rains down— _that solves that question_. Her vision blurs. Her touch with reality wavers. She thinks she coughs up blood, but she can't remember.

 _Crack_.

She's not quite sure what breaks in her this time, but she's sure it can't be anything good. Her thought is further confirmed when no more blows land. She must be malleable enough now to taint without resistance. Lovely.

One second ticks by. Then two. Five. Ten.

Elsa forces a bruised eye open, wondering if the demon wants to see the look in her eyes when it pours demonic energy into her . . . only to find the beast gone. A foreign but welcome energy fills her, healing her wounds. She glances towards the source shakily, still recovering from a near-death beating and minor taint. She's honestly not sure which one's worse.

Archangel Shang smiles, care sparkling gently in his eyes. The beautiful sight nearly brings Elsa to tears.

"I have never been so happy to see you." Elsa warbles, solidifying her body and dismissing her wings into nonexistence. Shang's smile widens and he lays a hand on Elsa's forehead, his energy reaching forward, searching.

"The sight of you nearly broke my heart." The man admits, banishing Elsa's taint and working on equalizing her energy levels. "I thought we lost you, and we would have if we'd shown up a second later." Elsa gives the man a questioning look.

"We?" She questions. Shang nods, his hand keeping the woman from looking around to find his backup.

"They're keeping little red sunshine occupied so I can help you. I'm going to join them after, but your protection is compromised; you're going have to go to the front." He retracts his hand and Elsa glances around, seeing archangels Mulan and Merida blasting the elite demon with celestial shots – being smart and attacking from a distance. "It's for the best." Shang continues, standing. He holds out a hand and helps Elsa to her feet. "There are still high demons lurking about, and the angel ranks need one of us to help keep the beasts from overwhelming them." His eyes flick to the elite demon's black wings, fluttering in rage. Elsa follows his gaze.

"It won't be fun." She says, changing the topic as her own solo attempt against the monster surfaces like an open wound. "You'll have an easier chance with the three of you, though – so go help them. Those two need you so Red Sunshine doesn't overwhelm them."

A dreadful howl cuts through the air, piercing and deafening. The entire battlefield stills, turning in the direction of Red Sunshine.

The demon claws at the ground, screaming its throat raw. A booming laugh from behind it sounds – a dreadful grating of despair characteristic of a demon by birth. It wears stunning clothes with an eighteenth century flare and an unnecessarily long tailcoat. It's hair is as red as Red Sunshine's skin, with sideburns that have no place in the current century. Not that demons care about that sort of thing.

"Funny meeting you here." The demon says, a cruel smile twisting it's lips. Red Sunshine screeches, it's demon form slowly dissolving away with the smell of burning volcanic rock. It still claws at the ground, as if doing so would take it's pain away. The eighteenth century looking demon barks a laugh, the sound brutal, vicious and without a hint of warmth. It holds up a small empty bottle. "I see you're taking to my present marvellously."

"Hans!" Red Sunshine roars, it's voice a curious mix of human-formed-demon and fully-transformed-demon. "What did you do?" It howlers, drawing the undivided attention of the demons surrounding them. They want to see if their hierarchy is changing. Hans—the devil's left hand and the official torturer of eternal hell—grins – an inhuman, sadistic twist of the lips to show it's pristine, sparkling white teeth.

Hans throws the bottle forward, shattering at one Red Sunshine's smoking demonic hands. The demon takes a long whiff and stiffens, it's rage coming back full force. It shrieks and whips on the weaker elite demon. Hans's eyes widen and it back peddles, rightfully fearful of the half-transformed demon.

Red Sunshine grips Hans around the throat and roars, spittle flying from it's mouth and into Hans's face. The weaker elite demon pales, scrambling to remove the fingers around it's neck.

"I'll kill you!" Red Sunshine bellows, demonic energy leaking from it's every pour. Demonic energy, Elsa notes, that's noticeably weaker than it was during their earlier fight. "I'll rip open your fucking skull and eat your brains _just so I know your dead!_ " The chilling words combined with the lore of the Fallen makes the threat all the more unsettling, but that's exactly what the demon wants.

Red Sunshine slams Hans into the ground over and over and over again, then twice more for good measure. The devil's right hand grabs Hans's skull with both hands and pulls with all it's weakening might, cracking it in two as easily as splitting an egg.

One of Hans's high demons blasts Red Sunshine back and away from it's master. Red Sunshine struggles to it's knees, now in full human form with twin braids, a black t-shirt, a green hoodie, black cargo pants and fluffy green socks with snowmen on them.

"Hans," Red Sunshine croaks, "when I get back, I'm going to force you into the eternal torture you yourself oversee; and I'm going to make sure it hurts. Whenever I can't sleep, I'll tune into your torture room and drift away on the sweet melody of your screams." Even weakened and sounding like it was punched in the throat, Red Sunshine's words make the newly healed Hans pale in fear. It tries to cover it with a cocky smile.

"You don't seem to get it, do you?" It asks, examining one of it's starched white gloves. "Boss man is pulling your force back with orders to leave behind the injured who are too . . . _inconvenient_ , and I think you match that bill perfectly."

"You bastard!" Red Sunshine snarls. "You know _full well_ that I can recover from this and become just as effective as I was before. I _am not_ an inconvenience – I'm the most powerful Fallen the devil has besides himself! Don't you dare refute that!" Hans barks a laugh.

"I'm sorry, Anna, I can't hear you over the sound of the archangels of Justice _dragging you away_ and _locking you up_."

Red Sunshine—Anna—stills, a horrified look overcoming it's features. It's chest starts heaving, close to hyperventilating. "Help me!" It demands, reaching out to it's nearest high demon. The high demon takes a step forward only to pause at Hans's tsking.

Hans's hand glows a demonic black, the colour of a demon by birth. "It would be tragic if your high officers perished trying to save you from your angelic captors, wouldn't it?"

Anna cries out in despair, desperation taking hold. It tries using demonic energy to fight back, but it barely summons enough to light a candle. Hans is the most powerful demon on the field now, and the others will fall in line behind it despite their prior allegiance.

"Only I can hold my territory!" Anna bellows, frantic as Hans and the rest of the demons start retreating. No one pauses. "None of you are strong enough to hold my territory!" It shouts, despair seeping into it's words. "Hell will lose it's hold on over a quarter of the mental territory we use to thrive! You're going to throw away everything my accomplishments have achieved because _you want me out of the way?_ You'll never be able to get it back! No angel as high ranking as I was will be stupid enough to Fall ever again! Damn it, Hans, _you're going to lose everything!_ "

But the elite demon summons a portal and leaves, all the demons disappearing with him.

Anna whimpers, turning it's wide, fearful eyes at the four archangels lined behind it. Elsa cocks her head curiously, wonder filling her at how quickly the demon's confidence fled with it's power. Most demons they capture retain the same attitude after their power is removed. Anna, however, is . . . certainly an uncommon case.

"Well,"—Mulan says, summoning a pair of celestial cuffs and taking a step forward—"I think it's past due for bringing little red sunshine in for judgement."

"No!" Anna pleads, turning and scrambling back on it's hands. "Please!" It begs, tears willing in it's eyes. Elsa notes the water makes the new teal of it's irises stick out. The demon has uncommonly soulful eyes. Must be from being a Fallen.

"Devil, protect me!" Anna sobs, wincing and grabbing it's chest as whatever Hans hit it with kicks in again. Mulan grabs the demon's wrists and methodically slams on the cuffs. Merida comes in from behind and inserts a ball of celestial energy at the base of Anna's neck, preventing it's demonic force from returning when the poison—or whatever—wears off.

"Please don't hurt me." Anna weeps, drawing its knees up and hiding its face in them. Mulan sends Elsa a curious look and Elsa frowns, just as lost.

"You've killed countless." Shang says, filling the silence. "You've advanced hell's influence a staggering quarter of the whole, and you've tainted every angel you have ever encountered. This is the weakest you've been since you fell seven thousand years ago, and we're not going to let you free for showing a thread of humanity. You are going to be brought before the judges of Justice for your fate to be decided."

Anna glances up, it's nostrils flaring as it glares at the male archangel through watery eyes.

"The angels of _Justice_." Red Sunshine spits, it's typical venom diminished but still potent. It glances around at the gathering angels, it's scowl deepening. "You're a pitiable lot. I was doing your brethren a favour by tainting those in your rank. The other angels only got hurt because Justice angels convinced them to help in a battle that wasn't theirs. I never hurt them as much as I hurt those in your ranks." Anna's dangerous eyes relock with Shang's. "If it wasn't for Justice, I never would have fallen in the first place."

Anna thrusts it's hands forward, showing the celestial cuffs with ire. "Do you think I wanted to Fall?" It shouts. "Do you think I wanted to become a demon? Do you think I fucking wanted _any_ of this? No! What angel would want _this?_ Not even every demon wants this! So fuck you, and fuck your blame, because none of this would have happened if it _wasn't for you!_ "

Merida shifts uneasily, glancing to Elsa for guidance – unsure what to think of the information. Elsa hasn't heard of any of this, but that doesn't make it a truth or a lie; simply an uncertainty. In the end, whether it's true or not, the elite demon needs to answer for it's crimes.

"Take it to prison." Elsa says. Mulan and Merida nod, going to either side of the beast. Anna's eyes flash and it snarls nastily.

"Righting your own wrong with a justice just as jaded? How very typical." The demon growls.

"Heaven is pure." Shang reminds the demon, mystified. "It is incapable of being jaded." Anna unexpectedly relaxes, it's face turning thoughtful.

"Oh, right." It whispers, softly. "I almost forgot. It's been a long time." Anna glances up to Shang and shrugs. "Maybe I have hope yet."

Mulan and Merida disappear with the demon, leaving the two archangels by themselves to command the remaining angels.

"I doubt it, but you never know." Shang breathes. Elsa hums, her thoughts elsewhere as she stares at the place the demon used to be.

"I wonder what discipline it used to be; it certainly has enough power to reside in one." Elsa contemplates. Shang glances at her.

"Does it matter?" He questions, confused. Elsa shrugs.

"Not really." She admits, raising her gaze and scanning the faces waiting for direction. "I was just curious if it's tale was true and, if so, what it did to break those rules badly enough for the angels of Justice to sever it's wings."

With a soft sigh, Elsa gestures upwards with one hand and, in a blink of an eye, disappears. The other angels start following suit, all of them going home to heal and purify themselves. Shang glances back to where the demon once sat, mulling over Elsa's words. With a shrug, he goes home with his brethren.

If Anna broke the rules badly enough to get it's link to heaven severed, then it had to of done something to deserved it.


	2. Angels

Elsa, Mulan, Shang and Mulan exit the hall of Justice, leaving the purest of their ranks mulling over the events of the battle and what to do of the Fallen brought back from it.

"This is certainly a strange circumstance, isn't it?" Mulan muses.

"The fact that another demon downed our worst foe for us to take in, or the fact that we were actually able to get the beast into custody at all?" Merida asks, glancing over in confusion.

"Both." Mulan says. "I always imagined Red Sunshine would go down by it's soul being forced into the light by our rank of elites, not pulled in for judgement by archangels barely powerful enough to keep the thing at bay."

"Funny," Shang says, contemplative, "I was taken off guard more by the demon's behaviour. It might be because it was among the high ranking angels previously, but I've never met a Fallen who's retained so much of it's angelic values – no matter how skewed those values have become."

Elsa listens to the three chat in silence, mentally preparing herself for the task given to her by her superiors. Even if the beast is residing in a weakened form, Elsa isn't keen on becoming the thing's guard. It probably has something to do with the beast trying to make her Fall and beating her half to death.

"You should probably go, Els." Mulan says, a mild hint of concern in her voice. "If you need help, call one of us. We'll be by your side instantly."

"If that thing even sneezes at me wrong I'll open a link to you." Elsa confirms, knowing better than to try controlling an elite demon on her own. Anna may be stripped of it's ability to access demonic energy, but highest ranks of hell—especially the Fallen—don't need that to control someone.

Without another word, Elsa teleports to limbo – a dimension lingering between Earth and heaven. Ever since its formation, limbo has had an area cordoned off for heaven's purposes; used for cases such as Anna – un-pure beings needing to face judgement but are unable to transverse in the spiritual holy grounds. If the angels wanted they _could_ plunk Anna into heaven, but the energy would purify the demon instantly. That, and the risk is too great to even chance.

She would say her steps echo as she makes her way through the halls, but the truth is that sound is inconsequential here. There are no sounds, no smell and nothing truly solid – not even your own form. Inside each of the cells when they're activated is a whole different story, but they still hold that eerie weightlessness of being not completely whole. It's been known to drive some people insane. Elsa has the feeling Anna won't be one of them.

Elsa opens Anna's cell, the differing pressures equalizing to that of the hall like a spaceship opening an airlock into space. Anna looks up, it's solid form wavering as the nonexistence outside the cell swipes in with all the subtly of a freight train. Elsa shuts the door, sits in the chair on the other side of the room—opposite the demon—and waits for the room to re-solidify itself.

Anna frowns and rolls it's shoulders uncomfortably as it's form condenses again, obviously uncomfortable with the feeling. Elsa doesn't blame the beast – not even angels like traversing here longer than necessary.

They sit in silence for a good five minutes, surprising Elsa. Demons—even the Fallen—are known for goading or pleading upon given the opportunity, but Anna seems mostly content keeping to itself. It's more unsettling than one might think, because the demon isn't silent without purpose – it's silent and completely aware, always analyzing the objects around it.

After yet another examining once over, Anna hums quietly. "You must be more higher ranking than I thought to be assigned to me. I've been trying to taste your energy to see by just how much, but nothing here has any flavour." It gives Elsa a close lipped smile that doesn't reach it's eyes. "Just one more sign we're in no place natural." The beast frowns, it's eyes flicking to the door. "I hate limbo." It murmurs. "Freakiest place I've ever been to; even as an angel I tried to avoid coming here. Gave me the creeps."

Elsa smiles faintly, lips closed, but doesn't answer. Anna glances to her out of the corner of it's eye, a calculated edge sparking in it.

"Why you?" It asks, not moving a muscle. Set on edge, Elsa opens communication with Mulan, just in case. She can feel the other archangel's worry on the other end but ignores it, knowing that the other woman will find out soon enough. "Justice has elites trained to deal with things like me." Anna continues, and Mulan goes silent – listening. "Your order leaves nothing to risk, meaning they'd have no reason to assign you . . . unless you're more powerful than you let on."

Elsa sighs softly through her nose and leans back in her chair, feeling relaxed and protected with Mulan as her safety net if things go wrong. "My power is what you saw in the field; nothing more, nothing less. I've only been assigned to you because of the combined wills of Harmony and Truth. Even Justice would have been pressed to refuse that." Anna quirks an eyebrow; the only muscle in it's body it allows to move.

"And pray tell, sweet thing, why those two disciplines would give a damn in Justice jurisdiction?"

Elsa frowns. "Every discipline has a say in the others; it's how we operate as a team. You should know this." Anna scowls, malicious.

"Angels." It spits, cursing the title. "Always so fucking difficult." Elsa shrugs.

"You only receive what you give yourself, and angels are incapable of returning your current behaviour. If you want us to respond to you, you have to properly behave towards us. If you give us respect, we will give it back; otherwise we'll go silent, and leave you alone and abandoned until you come around and apologize."

"I'm a demon." Anna spits, degrading itself. "How could I possibly give you the precious emotions of light you require to even acknowledge my existence?"

"I'm acknowledging you now." Elsa reminds the beast.

"Because you don't have a fucking choice!" Anna shouts, spittle flying from it's mouth. Elsa merely stares at the demon. Uncertainty flicks in Anna's eyes. "Uuh, hello?" It questions, trying to get a response. It doesn't get one. Anna's breath hitches, fear flashing in it's eyes. "Don't abandon me." It whispers, pushing itself to the edge of it's bed, pressing it's back into the corner and grabbing it's hair.

"Please, God, no." Anna moans, struck by an unfathomable emotional pain. "Don't abandon me again. Please don't leave me; I can't—" The demon sobs, slowly rocking back and forth. "I can't do this alone anymore." It says, it's voice cracking. "Please don't make me to this alone."

Wonder filters into Elsa's mind from her link with Mulan, but all Elsa feels is pity.

"Hey." The archangel breathes, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. She won't risk getting closer, not with how fickle Anna's emotional state tends to be. "I'm right here, okay? I'm not going to leave unless you make me."

Anna glances up, hope so fragile in it's teal eyes it makes Elsa's soul ache. The platinum blond smiles, showing the barest flash of white teeth. Anna visibly relaxes at the sight, it's hands falling from it's hair to reside in it's lap. Elsa leans back again, curiosity filling her.

"You want us to be with you and help you, yet you attack and taint us. Why is that? Do you hate us so much for what you claim we've done to you?" Elsa asks. Anna frowns, it's emotional guard reforming itself.

"It's not that I hate angels." Anna says, slowly. "I don't even hate the idea of heaven or the reality of it—the truth is just the opposite—but I hate what it's forced me to become." The demon meets Elsa's gaze with a bitter smile. "I was telling the truth when I said I didn't want to become this. I'll have you know I fought to the bitter end to try and stay an angel, even when my lack of wings said otherwise." It's smile flickers away, pain etching into it's eyes. "There are some things you just can't fight without help." It whispers, wincing in memory.

"I've never been proud of what I've become." Anna reaffirms. Elsa isn't sure which of them the demon's trying to convince. "All I've ever gotten was temporary satisfaction; a fickle feeling at the best of times. Like having an orgasm with a tainted afterglow that makes you feel used, but you keep going back for more and it, over time, makes you loathe yourself until you can't bear to recall who you once were. It hurts too much, knowing how deep of a grave you've dug for yourself." Anna lets it's head fall back against the wall and closes it's eyes. "So no, I don't hate heaven." It whispers, barely loud enough to hear. "I hate that I unknowingly threw it away and I hate that I changed into a person who would never be allowed back. Being angry, blaming and attacking heaven—and your kind, in turn—just . . . allows me to forget how much I miss it."

Over the connection Mulan encourages Elsa to seek more answers, but her tongue freezes on the roof of her mouth at the demon's tone. That isn't the tone of a Fallen-turned-demon, it's the tone of a newly Fallen weeping over their lost wings – their connection to heaven. An experience Elsa herself would have had to endure if she wasn't saved in time.

"What happened all those years ago?" Elsa asks, genuine concern leaking into her tone. Anna looks up, questioning. Elsa knows why – even though angels are genuine in everything they do, each discipline has personalities about them, and Justice isn't well known for gentle caring, even if they are capable of it.

"I'll tell you under one condition." Anna says, raising it's cuffed hands to run it's fingers through it's bangs. Elsa eyes the beast warily.

"What condition is that?" She asks. Anna meets her eye, a curious tilt to it's head.

"I want you to recognize that I'm not an 'it' or a 'thing'." The demon says, taking Elsa aback.

"Excuse me?" Elsa questions, unsure what to think. Anna gives a closed-lip, hollow smile.

"I know Justice angels refuse to assign genders to demons to detach themselves easier, essentially reducing us to furniture. Objects without souls." Anna says, leaning back against the wall, legs crossed in front of it. "Just because you take away your acknowledgement of our essence and our primary gender doesn't mean they no longer exist. Demons are the same are angels – we're both and neither gender at the same time, but have a preferred sex we tend to stick to when putting physical form to our souls. I, personally, am female. I'd prefer to be recognized as such."

Warning floods Elsa from her open link with Mulan, but it's hardly necessary. Elsa knows as well as any in Justice that there's a reason they regard demons as things, and if Elsa were to let go of that for even one demon, her effectiveness would be compromised. She's about to open her mouth to refuse, when the memory of Anna not outright killing or tainting her flickers through her mind. Mulan's warning grows stronger, and Elsa frowns.

"Why did Harmony and Truth specifically ask for me to guard you, even though I'd have no hope of containing you should you regain your link to demonic energy?" Elsa asks. Anna stares at her, confused at the topic change. Elsa frown deepens as Mulan's warning grows, and she severs the connection. "I assume you were among the highest ranks." Elsa clarifies. "Surely you would understand their reasoning."

Anna continues to stare at her until understanding flickers over it's features. "If I tell you, you'll see me as a person instead of a thing?"

Elsa meets the demon's gaze. "That depends on whether you tell the complete truth or lie by omission."

Anna huffs a surprised breath of air. "A Justice angel willing to compromise their effectiveness, for this?" It whispers, barely willing to believe it. It gazes at the archangel suspiciously, nostrils flaring. "Tell me your reasoning."

"Tell me yours." Elsa lobs back.

"I want to be treated like I deserve to be alive." Anna says, not missing a beat. "You?"

Elsa hums, taking a moment to think. "You didn't outright kill me." She admits, making Anna's eyebrows raise in surprise. "From the stories of the others I noted your behaviour was out of character, as if you took a half second to reconsider pulverizing me; like you felt something that you didn't want to touch. I don't know what that is and I probably never will, but I know it was there and it . . . gave me hope." Anna blinks.

"Hope?" It breathes. "In me?" Tears well in it's eyes and the demon smiles, flashing the angel a row of pristine white teeth.

"Harmony likes things to be in balance." Anna starts, settling itself in for a long tale. "They'd get involved when they feel as if their method will bring a greater peace than the other options. In this case, they were probably aware that sending an archangel with power rival to mine when I'm helpless would set me on edge and make me unwilling to cooperate. On the same note, they couldn't send a weaker angel I didn't know or else I'd eat them alive. You were the best choice because, although I overpowered you, you proved yourself as cunning and resourceful – surviving in pinches where others would have Fallen. They probably assumed I'd give you respect for that in my weaker state, and I'd be mollified with the knowledge that I could still overpower you should the need arise.

"Truth goes hand and hand with that logic, but uses it for a different purpose." Anna continues, seemingly content logic-ing out heaven's reasoning. "Although unaware of the specifics you felt, as record keepers they are familiar with my past and my track record from the moment I was created. Through Harmony's reasoning, Truth knew that you had the best chance of getting me to open up and fill in the gaps in my history from after I fell. Sure they have records about the times I stepped out of hell, but they have no idea about my Fallen history despite that. So,"—Anna says, wrapping it's explanation up—"Harmony wants balance and Truth wants knowledge." Anna tilts it's head. "They have high hopes for you, you know; they never would have attempted this otherwise."

Elsa eyes Anna, her face carefully blank. "Were they right, putting that trust in me?"

Anna's eyes glint with darkness, the corners of it's lips twitching upwards. "You tell me, sweet thing." It purrs, it's guards slamming back into place. Elsa tilts her head, aware of the vulnerable nerve she touched.

"You are Anna." She says – a silent offer of truce. "You are a Fallen angel turned demon with a soul that holds more feminine energy than masculine."

Anna blinks and it— _her_ face slackens, her guards falling away in pure shock. "You . . .?" Her chest heaves and silent tears roll down her cheeks. "Damn it." She warbles, wiping at her eyes. "A Justice angel, making me cry by saying such simple words! What is the world coming to?" She barks a broken, unbelieving laugh. Elsa's eyes soften, but she doesn't say anything – giving the Fallen the time she needs to collect herself.

When Anna finally looks up, there's a look in her eyes that Elsa has never seen before on a demon – care.

"I knew there was something I saw in you." She whispers, giving the archangel a watery smile. Elsa opens her mouth to question but, at that moment, the cell door opens.

The temporary reality of the cell is sucked away, leaving both women's forms hazy and without defined edges. Even then, Elsa can still see Anna's eyes hardening and her demonic mindset slamming back into place. Her eyebrows furrowed unhappily, Elsa looks to the door.

One of the Justice judges, two Justice elites and a frowning Mulan stand in the opening.

_That's what I get for cutting the connection in the middle of a demon debating off it's 'thing' status with me_. Elsa thinks, giving an inaudible sigh and pushes to her feet. Sounds are impossible without enforced realism, and she can only guess what the other angels want unless they form a telekinetic bond with her like she had with Mulan earlier.

The judge holds up his hand for Elsa to stop and she does, confused. The two elites come in and remove the invisible bindings keeping Anna locked in the room. They each grab Anna by the upper arms and exit with her. The judge and Mulan enter in their wake and shut the door. Elsa stares at the two, confused and wishing the room would pressurize faster.

When it does, the judge sighs softly.

"Mulan tells me you broke off connection with her when the demon was trying to get you to acknowledge it's primary gender." He says, concern in his voice. "Did it succeed?"

Elsa forces out a controlled breath of air and runs her fingers through her bangs, knowing this would come sooner or later. "It did." She admits, referring to Anna as a thing in hopes of proving she's still valuable in the field. Mulan closes her eyes, head bowed. There's a reason demons are considered things in Justice, and she knows the judge won't be able to overlook this.

The judge sighs heavily, mournful. "We've caught the slip in time." He says, trying to be optimistic. "With work we'll hopefully be able to help you. Otherwise I'm afraid you're going to have to change disciplines." Elsa inclines her head in acknowledgement.

"I know." She whispers, half hoping she'll be able to and half wondering why she should. It felt _good_ to recognize a demon as a soul instead of an object, but she supposes that's her angelic complex coming into play – and where the problem stems from to begin with.

A rule of heaven is that you can't purify or bring a soul into the light without the soul's permission and, as long as angels see those souls for what they are, angels will never go against their wish. Justice, however, is the militarized defence against hell. If demons attack angels have no choice but to interfere and purify them, but if they see them as souls instead of solidified darkness . . . well, they wouldn't be a very effective army, would they?

"Court's about to start." The judge says, turning to the door. "We're using the room on the far end of limbo, if you still wish to attend?" Elsa nods.

"I would."

Then all sound despites and her form wavers. Elsa walks beside Mulan, following the judge to the other end of heaven's hold on limbo. Already Elsa's beginning to feel ill from being here too long, but she knows it's a natural side effect that will only linger for as long as she's here. It's a completely different story if she stays for long periods of time, but she has no intention of doing that.

The judge opens the outer door to the court, holding it open for the two archangels before entering itself. It's a small square room before you enter the main court so that this is the only place that has to be continuously re-pressurized. The last thing anyone wants is for court to be halted for a latecomer and have to wait the insane amount of time it takes to enforce reality on a room so large.

Forms solid again, the three enter the main room and make their way to the front. The benches are already packed, the elevated judge area completely full with all the disciplines except for the spot for Justice and Anna is chained to the open marble floor in front of the judges by a chain around her neck. Despite this, the demon has her head raised high with her posture straight and defiant.

Elsa takes a seat beside Mulan in the only two empty chairs in the witness stand. Merida and Shang sit behind them. The demoted angel from Anna's last attack, Kristoff, sits on the other side of Mulan nervously clenching and unclenching his fists. Several other demoted, formally tainted angels sit in the stand as well, all victims of Anna's savagery.

The chosen judge for Justice takes his seat at the center of the raised dais, and the court goes silent. He takes a moment to collect his thoughts before addressing the room.

"We are gathered here today to go over the crimes of Amnayel Zarall Malakh, former elite archangel of Justice in the primary order, now Fallen and the right hand to satan himself. It has killed hundreds of thousands, tainted and ripped away wings from angels and forced it's rule over a quarter of humanity's mental territory." The judge turns his gaze to Anna. "What say you?" Anna scowls at him.

"Those are all facts, dumb ass, what the hell am I suppose to say? 'Nope! Totally wrong'?" She snaps, glowering. The judge is unaffected by it, but the formerly tainted in the witness box shift uneasy. Elsa herself frowns at Anna's former title.

Elite archangels of Justice in the primary order are the strongest warriors heaven has to offer, second to no one but the creator himself. The order is policed by the primary orders of the other disciplines, but it is mostly unnecessary precaution because those archangels are nearly impossible to taint. Obviously they're not impervious enough.

"What do you have to say in your defence?" The Justice judge asks, leaning back in his chair. Anna cackles – the human version of what Elsa heard on the battlefield hours earlier, only this time there's no amusement, just cruelty.

"How could I _possibly_ defend against that?" She asks degradingly. "I used to be an angel." Anna reiterates, testing the celestial cuffs around her wrists and neck. Elsa stares on, frowning as the demon searches for a weakness in her bindings. Anna looks up at the judges, a dark glint shining in her eyes. "Now I find comfort in the company of hell. What more do you want? Remorse? I don't have any; not for any of the sorry sods who got in my way and certainly not for your fucking vanguards. So what say _you_ , old chap? Hmm?"

The Justice judge frowns and glances to the other judges uncertainly. The one for Harmony leans forward, her eyes alight with compassion and curiosity.

"It is of my knowledge that you begged not to be hurt when you were captured, and that you were weeping earlier in your cell, not wanting to be abandoned. Is this true?"

Anna's face blanks of emotion. "And if it was?" She asks, her voice hard. The Harmony judge smiles kindly at the Fallen, flashing a hint of teeth.

"Then I'd be of a mind to know what triggered it and why."

"No!" Anna roars, jerking back only to come to a jarring halt by the celestial chain around her neck. "Fuck you!" She spits, her eyes as wild as a cornered animal. "Leave me alone! Don't come near me! _I'll make you rot in hell!_ "

The Harmony judge's eyes raise into her hairline, thrown for a loop by how easily the composed Fallen became an emotional wreck. A sudden horror flashes in Anna's eyes and she halts her actions, her gaze flying up to lock with the judge's.

"I didn't mean that; please don't make me go back." She whimpers, her hands quivering. "You don't know what it's like. He keeps trying to break me, and each time he fails he lets me recover just enough of my will to make the next time hurt worse." Trembling, the Fallen angel sinks to her knees, silent tears streaming from her eyes. "He's playing with me in a game I can't win." She sobs, shoulders shaking violently. "He could have tainted me completely within the first week of capturing me, but do you know what he did? He had me tortured in eternal hell for three centuries!" Anna throws back her head, barking with psychotic laughter that gives her eyes an insane glint.

"It took them three centuries to break me the old fashioned way!" Anna boasts, cackling like a mad woman. "The devil was so impressed he made me his pet, poking needles in me every now and then just to hear me scream." A dark glint flashes in Anna's eyes and suddenly she's snarling like a rabid dog, lunging at the judges only to choke herself. "It's all your fault!" She roars, her voice raw. "All I needed was ten more seconds! _Ten fucking seconds_ and _none of this would have happened!_ You ripped my wings away from me when I needed heaven the most and you _condemned me to hell_. I _hate_ you, and if you let me out of these chains I will _rip you apart!_ "

The judges glances glance at one another, concern lighting their eyes from Anna's rapid mood swings. For Elsa, however, it's Anna's words that makes her uneasy.

"What do you mean, 'ten more seconds'?" Elsa asks, wincing when the entirety of the court turns its attention to her. Anna glances up, emotions flashing through her eyes like wild fire; relief, hope, frustration, concern, care, shock and, finally, settling on ire.

"You didn't even tell them?" Anna bellows, practically frothing at the mouth as she turns her attention to the Justice judge. "I was seconds away from _killing the devil_ when you ripped my wings away and _you didn't tell anyone?_ I'll fucking kill you!" She rages, fighting against her restraints with a new vigour.

As Anna starts spewing the violent ways she's going to murder everyone, Elsa feels her blood run cold, ringing filling her ears.

Anna was powerful enough to kill the devil, and heaven cut her wings?

Something isn't adding up, and Elsa knows it.

"What did you do, Amnayel?" Elsa asks, her voice soft. Anna cuts her spiel off abruptly at her angelic name and she looks to Elsa curiously. The entirety of the court is doing the same, but Elsa's focus is completely on the teal eyes of the Fallen.

"It wasn't my fault." Anna whispers, trying to convince the archangel to side with her. The judges all watch in surprise except the one for Harmony, who dons the faint smile of somebody who knows something no one else does. "You have to believe me." Anna begs.

Elsa rubs her eyes. "What did you do, Anna?" She repeats wearily, the informal address rolling off her tongue before her tired mind can stop it.

Anna frowns and shifts uneasily. "A couple centuries before I was captured the devil laid siege on the mental territory, trying to take more for use of hell. The other Justice primaries and I were ordered out on top of the regular forces with the express purpose of retraining him, but we had never faced such a powerful Fallen. If we'd been better prepared then maybe . . ." Anna's frown deepens, unsettled by the memory. "All the other primaries were tainted and demoted. Some recovered well enough to remain among the archangels and others returned to being minor angels with no disciplines.

"I myself was hurt badly enough to need continuous intensive care for several days. It was impossible to recover completely and I was demoted to low archangel." Anna shifts uneasily. "When the devil laid siege again centuries later I knew the new primaries wouldn't be able to handle it. It's not that they didn't have the power, they did, but they never faced anything like him before and if you don't know what you're up against, you lose. With this logic I was able to get assigned to the primaries as a strategist and went into battle with them, but words can never measure up to the real thing.

"They were getting demolished." Anna continues, bitterly. "If I didn't interfere we would have lost the battle and valuable angels, so I did the one things my superiors told me not to do and pushed past my safe energy range." The audience murmurs amongst themselves, knowing full well the risks of pushing into an unprotected energy range after suffering a prior taint. Anna grits her teeth at the recollection. "I started losing it." She admits. "It's nothing that couldn't be rectified, but my new safe range would have demoted me below even minor angels – just a pure sod with wings who wouldn't have even been able to teleport safely. But I could have done it. I would have rid the realms of the devil and all it would have cost was my standing in the angelic hierarchy.

"Then Justice intervened." Anna says, silently cursing the discipline. "I admit I was seconds away from destroying myself, but I would have taken the devil out first. I was _so close_ . . . and then poof; bye bye wings." Anna glares at the judge of Justice, the hate in her eyes so palpable Elsa swears she can smell the phantom stench of volcanic ash. "My celestial energy disappeared with my feathers, leaving me completely and utterly helpless. They didn't even pull me out of the battle instead; they just ripped my wings away like the little cunts they are."

The judge of Truth hums gently to himself, drawing Anna's ire. "The archives say that you were so close to demonizing yourself that you would have never of killed the devil before you turned, and you would have with so much energy backing you that you would have been instantly granted black wings. It's theorized that you would have killed satan only to become the devil yourself."

"Well your archives can go fuck themselves." Anna seethes. The judge of Truth raises an eyebrow.

"You know, it wasn't the Justice discipline that took away your wings." He says, contemplatively. Anna halts, not moving a single muscle. The man smiles sadly. "You would have become so much worse than the devil if you turned that God himself cut your wings, unable to rectify the damage you did to yourself. The devil knew it, too – that's why he never pushed you enough to fully turn; just enough to keep you twisted and obedient."

Anna sits back on her heels, horrified. "No." She breathes, barely loud enough to hear. "That can't— how can that be right? I never—" Anna turns her gaze to Elsa, desperately looking for understanding. "I didn't know, you have to believe me." She pleads, seeking acceptance from the only source in the room she gives a damn about. Elsa stares back, unable to pinpoint what she's feeling.

The judge of Justice rubs his jaw, thoughtful. "This leaves us in a strange little predicament, doesn't it?" He says, once again drawing the focus of the room. He turns his sight to Anna. "With your tainted wings you're not allowed into heaven, but you're power is too much of a liability to let you roam free."

Anna clenches her teeth, a spiteful look overtaking her features. "What are you going to do then, odd sod, lock me in limbo?" The judge gives the Fallen a strange look.

"Why would we do that?" He questions. "Residing in limbo would make you insane, and we don't want that any more than you do."

"So what are you going to do with me?" Anna snaps, hackles raised and ready for a fight.

The Justice judge hums and leans back into his chair. "I don't know." He admits, then his brow furrows. "We can force you into a mortal existence, required to live lifetime after lifetime until you relearn your personal values in full. While I'd hope those personal truths would be angelic in nature, it's not necessary – you're a naturally good person at heart."

Anna nearly chokes on her own spit. "I've already done my moral time!" She cries. "I can't go through that again – it's nearly as bad as hell!" The judge of Justice smiles sadly.

"Unfortunately,"—he says—"I don't think we have much of a choice. The other options are . . . undesirable."

"And this isn't?" Anna shouts, tugging at the celestial force that keeps her bound. "I didn't survive hell just to go through it again in a different form!"

The judge of Harmony frowns, pained by Anna's comparison. "A moral life isn't a punishment, Amnayel." She says, her voice calming. "It's a physical experience that helps one grow and learn."

"I don't want to learn, I just want to be loved!" Anna cries, her wrists and neck smoking from her confines pumping more energy into themselves to keep the demon in holding. Anna screams in agony as the chains try to purify her, the phantom smell of burning volcanic rock filling the courtroom; picked up only by those who've smelt it before. "Why can't you give me that? Haven't I suffered enough?" She howls. "Let me have peace; that's all I want! Please don't send me away while I'm _so close_ to finding what I lost; every single one of you is an embodiment of heaven's grace, _every single one of you could help me_. Please,"—she begs, her tears starting anew—"don't make me lose this."

Anna glances up, examining the affect her words have on the judges. Her heart seizes when she realizes every single one sympathizes with her . . . except the one she needs.

"I am truly sorry to go against your wishes, Amnayel." The Justice judge apologies sincerely. "I hope one day you find it in your heart to forgive me."

Anna sees the Justice primaries heading towards her and panics, breaking the bones in her hands to try to slide the cuffs off – but celestial energy doesn't work that way.

"Elsa!" Anna screams. "Don't let them take me!"

Elsa's not quite sure what overcomes her, but she instantly stands at the Fallen's plea. "Stop it, please!" She shouts. "You're only hurting her!"

The room stills, turning to her in frightening silence. For half a second she wonders why, then pales when she realizes she assigned Anna a gender. She'll be forced to choose another discipline after this.

"Elzima?" The Justice judge questions, shocked.

_Well, if I'm going for it I might as well go for it_. Elsa thinks, leaping onto the main floor and walking over to Anna. Anna's eyes widen when the archangel steps _within_ her range with her back facing her, standing between her and the judges.

"She's suffered enough." Elsa says, her voice low and smooth. "She knows what she wants and what she doesn't want – she just needs the time to wade through her experiences and forgive them. She doesn't want power and she doesn't want to be violent – but she will fight to the bitter end if she feels you're abandoning her. Not even a couple hundred mortal lifetimes will help her find herself – her experiences are too raw and too horrendous for a human mind to comprehend, even subconsciously. She'll kill herself a dozen times over before she hits the age of ten and you know it."

Anna shuffles forward, crying in relief, and rests her head against the back of Elsa's leg; her broken hands clutching the archangel's calf like it's the only thing tethering her to reality. "I knew I saw something in you." She sobs, her chest warming with enough affection to be painful. Elsa reaches behind her and absently strokes the redhead's hair, unconsciously trying to calm the older angel.

The judges glance at each other but, again, the one for Harmony smiles like she knew this was going to happen all along. "I thought I saw a faint compatibility in you two." She breathes. The Justice judge turns to her in question. She only smiles wider. "I suppose I misread how strong your connection was with Amnayel's demonic signature getting in the way." This time it's Elsa's turn to give the judge a questioning look.

"As in . . .?" She trails off, wanting to hear the words.

"She's your twin flame, Elzima." The judge of Harmony says, her eyes sparkling with delight. "It's why Amnaye— _Anna_ recognized your energy signature and didn't taint you right away; she was sensing her other half in a form her Fallen status couldn't completely comprehend. The same goes for you. Although in your case it was more of a pull you couldn't quite understand."

Elsa half turns and looks down, meeting the shocked teal eyes gazing up at her.

"That would explain why I could never find them." Elsa admits, the revelation making a startling amount of sense; and the longer Elsa stares at the Fallen before her the more warmth she feels flooding her chest. She blinks back tears and she flashes a watery grin. "What took you so long to come home?" She jests, her voice threatening to crack. Anna laughs, just as emotional.

"Seeing the sights?" She ventures, grinning so broadly it hurts her cheeks. Elsa collapses to her knees and cradles Anna's head to her chest.

"Don't you know it's rude to leave without a note?" Elsa asks, her voice breaking. Anna tries to hug the blond, but finds she can't with her cuffs. She settles with gripping Elsa's shirt as if her life depends on it, not even caring when her broken hands protest.

"You could have come to visit." Anna rebukes, still emitting wet sounding laughter.

"And met the in-laws? No thank you."

Anna barks a laugh and burrows her head snuggly under Elsa's chin. Elsa grins uncontrollably, finally letting her tears run in hot rivets down her cheeks. She never thought she'd unite with her other half – when she'd inquired about them in the past she never really received an answer, which is never a good thing.

"This will be a long, perilous journey, Elzima." The Harmony judge says, leaning back in her chair. "Anna may be your other half but she is emotionally damaged, powerful and one of the Fallen. You two will have many trails to overcome before Anna can push through to the other side and come home. Are you prepared to handle that?"

"Anything for her." Elsa whispers, holding Anna ever tighter. Anna grins, her heart skipping a beat.

The Harmony judge smiles. "Then I wish you both all the best. Which dimension do you wish to reside?"

"Whichever one you deem fit." Elsa replies, happy so long as Anna is with her.

"So it shall be." The judge says, clearly pleased.

Anna wriggles back until she can see Elsa's eyes, brimming with confusion as to why Anna would pull away. Anna grins.

"Thank you for having faith in me." She says, tears once again welling in her eyes. Elsa's gaze softens and she pulls the shorter angel into a warm hug, catching sight of the Fallen's fluffy snowman socks. Her heart sparks with ever more affection for the Fallen and she smiles, burying her nose into the crook of Anna's neck.

Elsa knows Anna has seven thousand years of pain making her unstable. She knows that her love won't be enough to calm all the physiological lapses Anna's bound to go through. She _knows_ it's going to be a long time before Anna can forgive her past and move forward, but Elsa doesn't care. All is wants—all she _ever_ wanted—is right here in her arms.


	3. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Multiple guests (and members) reviewed with basically the same note of wanting the third installation I'd originally intend to have but never wrote. So, here it is (you guys are so spoiled).
> 
> Thank you to my beta Jaslyn, the author of _Frozen Chains_ (it's a great story. You should go read it).
> 
> You are **forewarned** that the pacing and style of what you are about to read are very different from what I posted four months ago.

_Don't go through that door_.

Elsa frowns at her thoughts. She looks at her dress then to the grandfather clock in the corner of her chambers, considering changing her attire, _again_. How many outfits has she gone through already? Four? Five? The blond glances at the floor. Seven.

All week, that voice in the back of her head has been growling at her, but for the life of her, she can't figure out why.

_Screw it_. Elsa thinks, straightening into a noble posture and turning to the door.

_Don't. Go. Through. That. Door._ Her thoughts snarl, making the young woman jump. She swallows the nervous lump in her throat, however, determined not to believe in that cruel voice or its suggestions. Because she's not crazy. She's not—

She remembers being with her father when he visited his mother in their town's asylum. How the woman ranted about a red-headed demon with cold, paralyzing eyes that always hovered over the blond's shoulder.

— _like her_.

Sometimes, Elsa thinks her father blames her for his mother's madness—because Elsa is the only one the red demon follows, apparently—but, luckily, her father was never fond of his mother. Sad as it is to say, he believes her descent into madness is an answer to his prayers. And the blond will be damned if she does anything to prove that woman right, because Elsa doesn't belong in that madhouse.

_You can't leave unless I let you_. The voice growls.

Truly, she doesn't.

She takes a step towards the door.

_Take one more step towards that ballroom, and I will make your life a living hell_.

"You don't control me!" Elsa hisses, glaring daggers at the wall. "And I command you to _go away_."

A harsh cackling erupts in her head, before an amused voice grates: _I know more about living in hell than you could ever reasonably conceive in this_ ignorant _form of yours. I've made your past lifetimes a waking nightmare because you refused to listen to me. This time won't be any different, I can assure_.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Elsa whispers, not wanting to be overheard. Tears well in her eyes, but she refuses to let them fall. She doesn't want to have to reapply her makeup. "Why do you insist on torturing me? Or making the people around me turn mad?" Her brain splits in ambivalence. On one hand she prays that all this isn't her fault, that she isn't this vindictive, but another part wishes she is – because, if _she's_ not, than who—or what—is?

The voice hesitates a moment. _I . . . it's not—_ they pause, considering their words. _How is it that you can show me my wrongs, without being aware of my relevance? It isn't . . ._ The voice clears its throat. _No matter. That stupid human brain of yours can't see what I see, and I will keep you from making terrible decisions by any means necessary_.

Elsa is vaguely reminded of her estate's stable of horses all falling ill and dying not soon after a duke expressed interest in riding with her. He was a nice man, from what she discerned before an assassin slit his throat in the middle of the night.

She refused to let it get to her, however, because that was _not her fault_.

God, please say it's not her fault.

Elsa takes in a deep breath, before walking to the door.

At once, she twists her ankle and falls. Her neck slams against the vanity before she cracks her head against her floor. Laying there, gasping and twitching, Elsa tries to move her legs; but she can't. She can't even feel them, nor can she feel the rest of her body, infact.

The voice in her head sighs. _I could leave you to live your life like this, you know. I've done it before. But, this time . . . maybe this time I'll just give you the easy way out_.

Before she can fully process the words, Elsa's heart is spasming.

It stops beating before she can even consider crying for help.

* * *

In baggy jeans, loose t-shirt, a backwards cap and a skateboard under her arm, Elsa ambles into the kitchen. "Mom?" She asks.

Belle glances up from her book, her gaze flickering to Elsa's board. "Going somewhere?" She asks.

Elsa smiles. "Only with your permission, which is why I'm standing here." She says, gesturing to herself with her free hand. Belle chuckles and sets her book on the counter.

"And where would you like permission to go, oh humble daughter of mine?" Belle questions, the corners of her eyes crinkling in amusement. Elsa rolls her eyes, but her lips still twitch upwards at the corners.

"I wanted to go over to Kristoff's. He and a bunch of others from school are going to some party involving tracker pulls." She barks a laugh. "Sounds dumb, I know, but somehow he convinced me that it could be fun."

In the back of Elsa's mind a warning alarm starts sounding, but it's too distant to give any real merit to.

"Kristoff, huh?" Belle murmurs, leaning back in her chair. "I've always liked him. A little rough around the edges, but a nice man." 'Fragile' is left unsaid. "Is he going to be your designated driver?"

Elsa nods. "Yeah. He doesn't like drinking all that much; says the alcohol gives him nightmares." She doesn't say about what. It had taken a lot of trust for Kristoff to open up to her about what the smallest amount of alcohol could do to him.

That, and the blond figures it isn't the best idea to say Kristoff dreams of being an angel fighting a monstrous demon with a crooked grin, twin red braids and cruel teal eyes, and _losing_. He refers to her as Red Sunshine, although Elsa doesn't know why for the life of her.

"Okay." Belle says, leaning back in her chair with a serene smile. "You can go, and feel free to call me whenever you start feeling uncomfortable. Are you sure you want to go wearing that, though?"

Elsa laughs. "Of course! I chose it because it's comfy, but unflattering enough to keep away prying eyes. Last thing I want is you getting a phone call informing you I'm being held for punching a pretty boy's face in."

Belle holds a delicate hand over her mouth muffle her humour. "How very considerate of you." She drawls.

Elsa takes a mock bow. "I try my best." She says, grinning and heading to the door. "I'll see you later, love you!"

One spiked drink, a tracker driving over her legs and a knife later, Elsa is declared dead.

With Justice's celestial protection preventing Anna from interfering in any aspect of Elsa's life gone, she slaughters all the people involved in Elsa's murder. Out of spite, she makes Kristoff clinically brain-dead for the rest of his life for bringing the platinum blond to that party in the first place.

* * *

Elsa heaves, her combat gear weighing on her body as she ducks behind a wall, plasma bullets firing from all directions.

Something in the back of the blond's mind screams that she _knew_ joining the army would be a bad idea, but how was Elsa to know a war was looming around the corner? Her brain snarks that she _did_ know, but she was too stupid to listen. She ignores it.

Taking a deep breath, Elsa hefts her rifle and quickly pivots to return fire.

Before the soldier can even register being hit, she collapses into the rumble, her brains splattered on the walls.

* * *

Elsa clutches to the protruding rock, her other hand and feet scrambling for a hold.

Her mountain climbing instructor had cut her safety rope just enough to snap if she slipped and fell a foot or more, which she did. She managed to stop her descent—barely, if the blood leaking from her torn skin and her current position are anything to go by—but she doubts she can hold on for much longer. Her fingers begin to slip on the rock, slick with the blood oozing from the gashes on her hands. If she doesn't get another point of contact—

Elsa's hand slips, and she plummets. Along the way she loses body parts to bits of rock, suffers broken bones to protruding edges. She's dead before she hits the bottom.

Somehow, right before the end, Elsa gets the strangest sense that someone warned her about climbing this mountain, and this is her punishment for not listening.

* * *

Elsa sits on the roof of her hover car, looking over the expanse of red dirt. She adjusts her helmet and looks at her wrist, checking her oxygen levels. On the ground beside the vehicle, a bulky blue machine beeps in warning. Elsa glances over to it, raising an eyebrow. 'Unsuitable building ground', it says.

The blond leaps to the ground, her gravity boots keeping her from floating, and packs the useless cube away. She doesn't bother reading the list it flashes of _why_ ; it always says the same four things. Like a broken record.

As one of the engineers on the 'Mars Colonization' project, Elsa had suggested creating a planet-wide atmosphere like earth. It would reduce the need for protective gear and oxygen—both in tight supply—and it would create an effective defense against space debris. She said that, given time and a select crew, she could come up with a rough but viable option within ten years.

It was a good plan, and one that was generally accepted, until a vile man named Hans took charge of the city. He didn't want Mars to become like Earth – divided into mentally imposed territories that could never agree with each other. He decided the best way to avoid that was by the 'dome dependent' system, and he scratched all notions of a livable Mars outside the glass and metal protection he maintains. That was around the time Elsa volunteered for the scouts.

It was an odd thing. Hans had been planning on dismantling the scout teams altogether before Elsa had shown her interest. She has no words to describe the way he looked at her; the way he recognized her in a way that wasn't possible, since they'd never met face-to-face before. Then he had glanced over her shoulder, if only for a second, before smiling and saying he expected her to report for duty the next day.

To this day, Elsa doesn't know what that exchange was about, but she doesn't really care. If it means she can come here every day and be free of Hans' oppression for even a few hours, then it's worth it.

It might also be from the fact that, for the first time in a long time, she actually feels praised for her actions – even though nobody actually has. She knows that doesn't make any sense, but it just feels . . . right.

" _Elsa!_ " A voice cries, crackling through the intercom of her helmet. She recognizes the voice. Shane, was it? Or is it Shang?

"What is it?" Elsa asks, activating her own transmitting signal. A pool of dread sloshing around in her stomach.

" _The dome is gone!_ " He huffs, his hyperventilating breaths hissing through the open connection like heavy static.

Elsa's blood runs cold. "What do you mean the dome is gone?" She barks, pushing down her own rising terror.

" _I was hit by an asteroid!_ " Shane—Shang?—sobs. " _Oh god, they're all floating around like debris_."

"Just calm down for a minute." Elsa says, unsure which one of them she's trying to convince.

"I'm on my way. Who's with you?"

She doesn't get an answer until long after when she stops next to him and his party, staring at the utter ruin of the once only sustainable source of life on Mars. She doesn't speak for a long time, horror paralyzing her behind her seat, hands vice gripping the wheel.

As hours pass by the remainder of the solo scouting teams start returning, all taking in the destruction with varying displays of dismay. Some suggest using the scraps to create a smaller dome before their oxygen runs out but, as the only engineer in the group, she quietly informs them that the damage is too extensive to rectify with what time they have left.

Most refuse to listen to her, choosing instead to slam together material in an adrenaline-fueled dash for survival. A futile effort that only succeeds in draining their oxygen faster. Elsa winces as she watches their suited forms go limp, knowing that she herself will share the same fate soon enough.

_Why me?_ She thinks, tilting her head to the black abyss of stars, missing the blue sky of Earth more than she already has over the last torturous years under Hans. She didn't even think that was possible until now.

The response she receives to her unspoken question is a vague, yet overwhelming feeling of wanting Hans dead – wanting him to suffer. As her oxygen continues decreasing, she hears a voice ranting about Hans' treachery and deserving every conceivable torture, both mortal and divine.

She really knows she's losing it when she sees faded images of scared teal eyes and Hans in eighteenth century garb with a black haze hovering above his hand.

Soon, she's blinking her eyes, struggling to keep the objects around her in focus. All too fast her head is lulling to the side and her eyes slide shut, never to be opened again.

* * *

_What are you_ doing?

_What Elsa wanted me to, be her spiritual guardian through her mortal lifetimes._

_Yes, to rediscover the angel inside of you, not make her lives hell or outright kill her—_ or _her chances of survival—when she makes a decision, or is in a situation, you don't approve of._

_It was_ Hans. _You know, the devil's new right hand because he_ betrayed me _. Remember that? You should. You were one of the privileged few to witness it._

_This isn't about me. It isn't even about you, either. Have you even stopped to consider what you've done to Elzima? If Harmony hadn't intervened after that heart attack fiasco to stop you from meddling so directly in her affairs, you could have destroyed her will. You could have done more than just making her fear the various ways you've made—or let—her die if heaven hadn't dedicated at least one angel into mortal existence with her to help her through the pain. For all that's good, Anna; Elzima_ trusted _you enough to put her life in your hands and you've_ failed her _more times than I can count._

_Don't say that._

_I'll keep saying it until you stop being the demon you became instead of the angel you used to be; the angel Elzima still thinks you are, despite the accumulating proof that you're not, and probably never will be._

_I—_

_If you don't change your ways, I can assure you'll lose more than heaven's trust. You'll lose Elzima's, too._

_. . . Understood._

* * *

Mulan smiles as she grabs her bag from the floor, kissing Elsa on the cheek. "I'll see you when I get back, okay?"

Elsa chuckles. "Just try to come home in one piece this time. While I enjoyed you being home for a month last time, I wasn't fond of your array of bruises injuries."

"You're just jealous because you're not as badass as I am." Mulan quips, grinning. Elsa rolls her eyes.

"If being as badass as you means being injured more then I'm well, then I'm perfectly fine being mediocre."

Mulan chortles and captures her girlfriend's lips in a brief kiss. "I'll see you when I get back." The asian whispers.

"Hopefully by walking through the door instead of me wheeling you, right?" Elsa teases.

Mulan laughs and heads for the door. "I make no promises." She chortles. The blond raises an eyebrow. Typical.

Watching the door close, Elsa reaches up to massage her temples. She loves her girlfriend, but moments like this make the world tilt a peculiar way. It doesn't make her doubt in her relationship or her partner's career choice – Elsa herself had been in the same line of work before she decided this wasn't the life for her. She never told Mulan why she joined business instead, and the shorter woman never asked.

The blond had tried to bring it up once or twice, but how could she realistically say that certain positions jog her memory of a horrid battle that never happened? Of a red beast that nearly destroyed her very being?

She hears muttering from the kitchen and frowns, following her ears. As she gets closer, she makes out the words:

" _I love you_. Foul woman. Scolding me for my actions and then coming down here to be my twin flame's girlfriend. What is she trying to prove, that she's an asshole? I could have told her that without this nonsense."

The female voice keeps growling and spitting obscenities, even as Elsa rounds the corner and _stares_.

A redhead, clad in fluffy green snowmen stocks, green boxer shorts, a black bra and a green hoodie zipped up halfway, angrily paces back and forth.

Words hang from Elsa's half-open mouth, not sure how to handle this development. Not necessarily the obvious _who is this woman_ , but _how did she get into my house_ and _why doesn't she seem to care?_ Somewhere on the list is _what the hell is she wearing_ , but Elsa figures that last one isn't exactly an important issue right now.

"And I can't kill her." The redhead gripes, turning Elsa's insides cold. "Because I need to prove to Elsa and heaven that I'm actually capable of being competent."

Elsa backs up slowly.

_Okay_. She thinks. _Homicidal and insane. Good to know_.

She barely backs up two steps before the woman's head snaps to her. Elsa freezes, eyes wide and her face draining of colour.

Out of everything she expected to happen, she didn't foresee the redhead slumping against the counter, arms crossed over her chest.

"Hey, Elsa." The woman says, in a tone meant for self-conversation. "Alone in the house again, huh?" She glances around out of boredom. She has this place memorized – Elsa can see it in her eyes. "You'll be okay, though. A little lonely maybe, but okay. You always are. I make sure of that." She scrubs her face, practically snarling at herself; "She can't hear you, dumbass. Why do you talk out loud, to feel less pathetic than you are? Make you feel like you haven't fucked her over more times than you can count?"

Tears burn in the redhead's eyes as she squeezes them shut, roughly gripping her bangs with one hand.

Something in the insane woman's words give Elsa pause, and she quickly averts her eyes and changes her posture. _'Can't hear me'_ , she'd said – meaning that, for whatever reason, the redhead doesn't know Elsa's aware of her presence.

"What is _wrong_ with me?" The woman hisses, tears streaming down her cheeks in currents. "Angels do duties like this all the time. _Elsa_ did this all the time before she joined Justice. If they can do it, then why can't I? Why should it matter that my charge can't hear me, or see me, or really heed any of my advice because only inherently angry souls listen to the tone of my voice and— _damn it_. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so _lonely_."

' _Please, God, no_. _'_ The redhead's voice whimpers in Elsa's mind, like a long forgotten memory. _'Don't abandon me again. Please don't leave me; I can't—_ _I can't do this alone anymore.'_

Elsa frowns at her thoughts. She's never seen this crazy woman before in her life. She glances up, wanting— _needing_ —to confirm that thought, only to startle at the redhead's eyes being barely inches away from her own. With an undignified squawk, Elsa trips backwards and lands on the floor. She stares at the woman in horror, knowing there's no way of playing this off by anything other than what it actually was.

With shock written on her face, the redhead blinks. Excitement surges within her when she realizes that the blond is staring straight at her.

"You can see me?" The redhead breathes, waving her hands around. Elsa's eyes flick to them, watching warily. "You can see me!" The intruder cheers, delight sparkling in her eyes. She puts a hand to her chest. "I'm Anna, the one who protects you from bad things. Remember two years ago when you were really tired and forgot to look both ways before crossing the road? Well that driver wasn't actually paying attention and would have smacked right into you had I not taken the wheel. I saved your life! More than just that once, too. Why, just last week I—"

Elsa's throat constricts. "That truck driver died." She whispers, voice hoarse. Anna pauses mid-rant, sending the blond a strange look.

"Yes." Anna says slowly, not quite understanding what's wrong with her declaration. "The man was an idiot trying to run a yellow light that just turned red. Had I not intervened he would have hit you and you _both_ would have been flattened."

As insane as Anna's declaration sounds, it gives Elsa much needed relief to the blame that's been weighing on her shoulders from that event . . . and an outlet for her anger.

"You could have done something else!" The blond shrieks.

Anna smiles and hunkers down to Elsa's level. "It's nice seeing anger on you, you know." She says, making Elsa's jaw drop in disbelief. "You're not so perfect when you're human. It's . . . nice." Anna frowns. "Although I miss the recognition."

" _Recognition?_ " Elsa bellows, scrambling to her knees and jabbing a finger into the redhead's chest. "The only reason I would _recognize_ you is from _wanted posters_ because you _murdered someone_."

"I've murdered a lot of people." Anna says, like she's commenting on the weather. "It's not the end of the world if a human dies; they can come back as someone else if they desire it. You should be more concerned with the _souls_ I've messed with. Kristoff looks a lot better now, by the way – I think this set of lifetimes are helping him regain part of his original energy range. He might even be able to join a discipline again, soon."

"I don't even know what you're talking about." Elsa says, her voice quivering in shock. She stands up and strides towards the door, the need to get out burning in her chest.

A hand clamps around Elsa's upper arm and she cries out, tears stinging her eyes as pain flares throughout her body. She knows this sensation anywhere; Anna just broke her humerus.

Anna just _broke_ her humerus by _grabbing her_.

Almost as quickly as the hand came, it disappears. Anna appears in front of her, distress clear in her eyes. "I'm sorry." She blabbers, reaching out to help, only to have Elsa retreating from her. "I'm _sorry_." Anna says more forcefully, like she's losing patience. "I forgot how fragile your human form is and didn't adjust accordingly. Now give me your arm so I can heal you."

Anna reaches out again, and Elsa dashes; but no matter where she turns in her apartment Anna is _right there_ , looking more annoyed—more psychotic—as time goes on.

"Just fucking _stop_." Anna roars, spittle flying from her mouth. "I'm trying to _help you_ , ungrateful little—" Her hand shoots out to grab Elsa right when the blond makes a quick redirection.

_Crack_.

Anna stares in horror as Elsa crumbles to the floor, realizing too late the amount of force she had wrenched into her arm.

"No, no, no, no, _no_." Anna chokes, panic evident in her voice as she flips Elsa over, her heart thudding in horror at the blond's slack jaw and closed eyes. "No." Anna whimpers, putting her hands on the woman's chest to heal her, even though she knows it's too late. It wasn't just physical force that smacked into her twin flame, her corrupted energy had hit her, too.

After a full ten minutes of trying, Anna throws back her head and screams to the heavens. Only mourning now what she knew to be true the moment her hand made contact.

Elsa's human heart flat lined a full half second after Anna's magic shoved her soul back into heaven. Anna's trial period with Elsa's human lifetimes has been put to an end by her own doing.

And she failed every single test.

* * *

_I didn't mean to! I wasn't— I didn't mean to kill her!_

_But you still did it, obviously; this time without the pretense of mortal objects. Your own hand was the cause – she_ saw _you do it. How does that make you feel?_

_I-I'm sorry, I never meant—_

_Enough, both of you. The array of deaths I've experienced under Anna's . . . guidance, has shown me something – especially this last life. We will try this one more time, but under different circumstances_.

_Elsa, thank you, I—_

_Don't thank me yet. And please keep your distance. I . . . still need to sort through that last experience._

_I am so,_ so _sorr—_

_I know, Anna. Just . . . give me time._

* * *

Elsa sits cross legged in her chair, drinking lukewarm tea as she stares out at the vast, uninhabited forest below.

She, Anna, Mulan, Merida and Belle, all live in this mountain cabin, secluded from the rest of humanity on a small, scarcely known planet in the Gama System. It's as much to keep the species of the universe safe as it is to keep themselves safe.

See, despite being in human form, with human emotions and human limitations, a celestial link to all their memories remain. They could have picked and chose the memories they needed—and could fit inside the small confines of a brain—but humans find it difficult to cope with certain things, thus the active link. It helps keep them sane, without giving them access to their higher powers.

Despite everything, Anna took the separation the best – saying it felt good not to have the polluted 'dark matter', as she so eloquently put it, bubbling under her skin. It didn't stop the night terrors, the flashbacks or the bouts of utter depression, but it helped.

Mulan, oddly enough, didn't take the loss of her celestial power very well at all. She had a series of minor panic attacks her first couple weeks here, muttering about this being 'unnatural' and 'unfair'. Elsa's inclined to agree with her—she herself had the same separation anxiety—but she keeps the feeling at bay as best she can. This is the only thing she could think of that, over time, would actually help Anna get her values back without her downfalls running the risk of killing someone.

_Like me_. Elsa thinks, shivering involuntarily at the array of deaths and suffering she had endured with Anna as her guide. And that last one, when her soul had to be ripped out of her body by Merida to prevent Anna's magic causing it harm? She hadn't even seen Anna's hand reach half the distance between them when Elsa had woken up, back in heaven at last.

The motion sensor door to the living room balcony slides open, revealing Belle with two cups of hot tea. She sits down on the other side of the table and places the second cup next to Elsa's elbow. For a long while they both just stare out, thinking.

It's weird, Elsa realizes, having all her angelic knowledge and sifting through it with a human filter. Not because it's wrong morally, per se; more so that it feels out of place. Distorted. Not quite right in a way she can't properly describe. She and Belle talked about it for many nights on this very balcony, firmly declaring at the end of every discussion that it shouldn't be this way. No one should feel the pang of losing heaven's all accompanying love, knowing what they're depriving themselves of by being temporarily mortal.

Still they remain, however. Elsa finds that it helps having three fellow angels with her that are going through the same thing; makes it easier to comfort the ache of loss. One look from Mulan, Belle or Merida can ease the suffering inside Elsa's chest – make the world a little easier to bare.

Elsa admits that it might also be because they've completely isolated themselves from the inhabitants of this planet, and all the others. Thinking of interacting with people who don't know what she knows, can't see what she sees, leaves a sour taste on Elsa's tongue. Seeing self-appointed spiritual guardians helping humans—or other intelligent species—and being ignored; heard subconsciously but never acknowledged? Seeing her fellow angels or souls and wanting to talk to them but knowing she _can't_ because she'd be seen as talking to thin air? No, she can't do that.

At least here they're protected from all that. Justice put out a barrier that only lets in angels or celestial souls with permission. Mostly the angelic trio—and one Fallen—are left alone, but it's relieving when one does show up and she can just say hello without garnering strange looks.

"You were right." Belle says, finally breaking the ice. "This solution of yours seems to be doing wonders for Anna mentally."

Elsa hums, her gaze distant. "How ironic that the solution makes the Fallen thrive, and the angels uneasy."

"That's your humanity talking." Belle murmurs, trying to fight the same urge herself.

The archangel sighs, knowing the Harmony member is right. While Elsa's words weren't necessarily bitter, they paved the way for them. And the blond knows from experience that those judgements will come, and be spewed from her wrathful lips.

"Yes." Elsa whispers, retrying her initial response. "While she still suffers the same ailments as regularly as she did at the beginning, the severity has been minimized. That's more than we could have hoped for in a year, considering how many millenniums she endured under the devil's thumb."

Belle hums. "It also helps that she's not at an energy advantage whenever she loses it. While it still takes both Mulan and you to take her down, you can do just that and she can't escape until you release her."

Elsa smiles. "Yes, that helps." Knowing you're not at a constant risk of dying always helps, especially with someone where that security never existed.

The metal door slides open again and Mulan steps out, her tired eyes glancing at the sky. Without segue, she says:

"I can't do this anymore."

Neither Belle or Elsa appear surprised.

Elsa shrugs. "I need at least two angels here with me at all times so we can keep each other sane, and I need one of them to be from Justice so they have the combat know-how to help me restrain Anna upon necessity." She says, staring at her cold tea instead of the new cup Belle brought out for her. "That being said, you can leave whenever you desire so long as you find yourself a suitable, willing replacement. The same goes for you, Belle. Neither of you have to stay here." She slumps in her chair, feeling the heavy bags under her eyes. "Neither of you are bound by obligation or personal investment; only me. It's hard being here like this, and I won't deprive either of you for longer than you believe you can handle."

Belle considers her words. "Anna won't take well to the change."

"We'll inform her. Prepare her." Elsa says, shrugging off the woman's concern. "It's not like we have much of a choice, sanity-wise."

"Not many angels would want to subjugate themselves to this." Mulan mutters, as if already mentally running through a list of possible Justice replacements for herself.

"Some might say the same of the mortal life time experience. The normal kind." Elsa says, setting her old tea on the table and grabbing the new one. "What we're doing is hard, that's undeniable, but you learn something. Angels can see our struggle if they care to look—and they do; we're treading on new territory after all—but none of them aside from us has ever done it. Both of you will be able to find replacements because there's an entire heaven full of angels who have never done what we're doing and they want to try, despite our obvious discomfort."

Mulan and Belle gaze at each other, inhaving a silent conversation Elsa doesn't interrupt.

"You should take a break, too." Mulan says, braving Elsa's human stare. "It doesn't have to be for long. In mortal time it doesn't even have to last a day or two, but in angelic time it'll be enough to refresh you – give you enough energy to keep going. And don't give me some shit excuse about Anna; if she truly loves you, she'll want you to do what's necessary to be healthy."

Elsa sips her tea, her mind running through her options even though there isn't much competition. She either stays and falls into depression, unable to help herself or anyone around her, or give herself occasional breaks so this plan is sustainable in the long run.

"Okay." Elsa agrees, pushing from her chair. "Let's round up Merida. We're going to have to talk to Anna and, like Belle said, she might not take well to it. We'll have to get Anna used to one change at a time when it's time for replacements – only one person at a time, and never one right after the other; at least a week between each, and everyone has to stay at least a month, but never more than six. We might be at this for centuries, and I don't want anyone getting worn out."

* * *

After five grueling centuries, Anna achieves the right mental state for the next stage of Elsa's plan. While Elsa remains the same—human with her angelic knowledge—Anna was reverted to a baby, to grow up like a regular human. She was homeschooled by Elsa and other angel-humans like herself. Anna wasn't allowed contact from anyone other than the rotation of angels; not to isolate the girl, but to keep the angels' sane.

The one time Anna had run away, tired of the same surroundings, Elsa had followed after her – trying to catch up to her before her 'daughter' reached any developed areas.

That's where Elsa finds herself now, bolting through the forest with Mulan and Shang—twin flames to each other—giving her directions through her celestial link.

"Anna!" Elsa shouts, panic creeping up her throat.

While Elsa's property was protected from scans by Justice and Harmony, mortals still had a settlement an uncomfortable three-hour walk from the heaven-owned home. Anna has been missing for two, and she's been moving fast. Faster than Elsa, possibly; the former Justice angel had been sprinting at least half the time she's been out here and she hasn't caught up yet.

So she's not entirely surprised when she bursts out of the forest at the edge of the very settlement she'd been hoping to avoid. Expecting it and not being affected, however, are two entirely different things.

Elsa stops dead in her tracks, heart thudding behind her temples as she sees the array of spiritual guardians following around their ignorant charges. Her soul cries out in discord when a few of those guardians notice her, giving her a strange look for her skittish behavior. Elsa swallows and backs up, wanting to be gone before the souls realize that she can see them. Understand them. Talk to them.

_Anna isn't here yet_. Mulan says, her voice filtering into Elsa's head. It used to be comforting. Now it's just a painful reminder of the place she wishes she could be instead. _We've lead you so that you're now ahead of her. All you have to do_ —

A series of directions later, Elsa is tackling her escaping daughter to the ground. The blond huffs and puffs, glaring down at the idiotic, struggling eighteen-year-old trapped underneath her.

"Get _off_ me!" Anna snarls, flailing around. Elsa grabs the redhead's wrists and pins them to the ground, a sneer twisting her lips.

"Not until I explain something to you."

"What?" Anna spits. "That my own mother is confining me to her property, only letting me see her friends and not make my own? I need adventure, more than what your land can offer!"

"You mean teaching you every martial art, fighting sport or _anything else_ you could have ever wanted wasn't enough?" Elsa asks, her voice flat with sarcasm. "Me giving you everything you'd ever need when you've proved yourself ready to take care of them wasn't enough?"

Anna hesitates, her face contorting in uncertainty. A half a beat later, she gives a nod.

Elsa laughs.

The blond pushes to her feet and runs a hand through her bangs, a human vindictive streak shooting through her. She doesn't mean for it, nor does she want it to stay—not really—but Elsa willingly let herself suffer for longer than Anna's human brain could ever possibly recall and _this_ is how she's repaid for it.

It's an unfair judgement, she knows it is. How could she possibly blame Anna for something the girl isn't consciously aware of, and never will be until this human version of her passes on?

But she does. She wishes she could stop, but flashes of dying repeatedly under Anna's poor guardianship rise to the surface, along with the painful five hundred years as an angelic human she's still willingly enduring, and _for what?_

Anna pushes to her feet, eying her chortling mother. The sound makes the redhead's blood cold, because it isn't a happy sound – it's something filled with eternal ire. Elsa had never sounded like that, before.

"Mom?" She questions, taking a hesitant step forward.

"Don't." Elsa snaps, raising a hand for Anna to stop. "I'm not going to fight you. Or argue with you. In fact, I'm nowhere near a state of mind that gives me any right to demand anything of either of us, and I probably won't be for a long time." She's been overdo on her break to heaven by nearly two months, and its toll is weighing on her. With a sigh, Elsa lowers both her hands, her bangs falling over her eyes. "The settlement is a ten minute walk in that direction." The blond says, pointing. "Go there like you were planning. Live with them. Get to know them. Work with them. If you decide you'd rather stay there, then don't leave them. If you feel you'd rather have what I'd given you, then come back to the house in exactly five years; I'll be there for one week, starting on this day. Consider carefully, because I won't go back there a second time."

Elsa had left before Anna could respond, quickly getting out of sight and returning to her native home. The redhead had looked for her frantically, crying out her mother's name for hours. She'd checked out her childhood home and stayed there for a solid month, waiting, but was eventually forced to move on when the food supply ran low.

With lack of any better options, the mourning ginger stumbled into the closest settlement, weeping until she didn't have any more tears to shed. The little colony took her in, curious and concerned for the woman without records in any of the galactic databases.

Anna's grief quickly turned into anger; furious at being abandoned by the one person who was always supposed to be there for her. So filled with ire, she joined the corps and was deployed in every corner of the universe, never returning to her home planet until twenty years later.

The redhead had returned to her home, finding a dust-covered note in her mother's handwriting, reading; _'I hope you find peace in whatever life you've created. Love, Mom.'_

For a solid hour Anna had sobbed, cursing herself for her own pigheadedness. It wasn't until two days later while she was cleaning that she had found a crumpled note in the garbage can, one Anna can only assume had been her mother's original note. It read:

_I'm sorry I made you feel as though you couldn't return. If I could safely transverse inhabited regions I would have visited you—I've been watching over you, in a sense, making sure you were okay—to apologize for my actions. The fact is that I can't, which is the reason I lived here instead of near any form of civilization. Perhaps you could call it an unintentional insanity clause in my genetic makeup_ —

The note ends there, the entire paragraph scratched out and making the words difficult to read, especially the last two sentences. For a moment Anna simply stands there, her chest clenching and guilt blanketing her shoulders.

How could she have been so stupid not to realize her ever-logical mother had a reason for their living arrangements? For how she raised Anna?

The soldier raises a quaking hand to her mouth, tears streaming from her eyes. Flashes of Elsa wincing whenever Anna brought up the distant sounds of construction enters Anna's mind; the look of remorse plaguing her eyes. It was the same look all her mother's friends had, Anna realizes with a start, remembering their aching smiles and the bags under their eyes. It's also a look she hasn't seen since her mother left her in the woods all those years ago.

Filled with guilt and sorrow, Anna leaves the corps and lives the rest of her life in her mother's outdated—yet comfortingly familiar—home. She doesn't get married, or have kids – deciding to stick to having mountain cats for pets and the occasional visit from a friend; in lieu of what she discovered in her mother's abandoned note, she doesn't feel like she deserves more than that.

And so what if she secretly hopes her mom would return again, despite her words all those years ago?

Months after she settled in, she receives a hand-written letter with no return address.

It was from a friend of Elsa's—Rapunzel, was it?—saying her mother had passed on, but that she never stopped thinking about her daughter.

Anna wept.

Elsa grits her teeth in heaven, wishing she had the courage to return as an angelic human, but not finding the strength within her. Instead, she goes back as a guardian, helping Anna through her remaining trials of life. And it's okay that the redhead couldn't see her, or hear her, or talk to her, because somehow, Anna heeded her words, despite not being consciously aware of them.

Anna lead the remainder of that lifetime happily—or as happy as she could be—and that was enough for Elsa, or so she tells herself.

* * *

Mulan and Belle, married and living in an average suburban home, sit together on the couch. The raven-haired woman watches a martial artist fight on the television, while the brunette woman engrosses herself in a novel.

Even as full humans, without any celestial link to their angelic memories, they are still aware of who they are and why they're here. It was the memories they selected before coming for a mortal life because they were deemed important without containing 'spoilers'. They knew, for example, who their intended spouse was for this lifetime and that they'd meet when they were both mentally and emotionally mature. They also knew the names of the four parents they'd have to look for when it came time for them to adopt.

None of it really made sense to them. Sure, they understood the basics; Anna—their youngest daughter—had suffered in living hell in a prior life and needed to recover, and Elsa—their eldest daughter—had undergone the same fate trying to get Anna back to her senses. So both Mulan and Belle knew that the two girls needed stability and love, but they didn't necessarily know _why_. When they'd prayed for answers, all they received was a vague feeling that they weren't meant to know.

The front door opens and closes, the sound of steps and laughter following soon after. Belle sets down her book, listening. Mulan mutes the TV.

"Welcome home, Anna." The Asian woman says, tilting her head to the living room entrance. "Is that male laughter I hear? I don't recall ever adopting a boy."

Anna pops her head around the corner, quirking an eyebrow. "You know, you are allowed to ask who it is." Belle covers her mouth, hiding her smile.

"Well yeah," Mulan jests, "but what would be the fun in that?"

A broad shouldered man steps around the corner, smiling and waving uncomfortably.

"Hello." He says, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Anna gestures to him.

"Kristoff, moms. Moms, Kristoff."

"What a lazy introduction." Belle teases. "Is he supposed to call us mom? He's not part of the family, unless you're not telling us something?" Kristoff and Anna flush bright crimson.

"Mom!" Anna sputters.

Belle chortles. Mulan barks a laugh and pushes to her feet, extending a hand. "I'm Fa Mulan, and this is my wife, Belle. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kristoff." When he shakes her hand, she grips it and doesn't let go. "But hurt her and I will end you." The blond man pales considerably, but Anna only rolls her eyes.

"Has Elsa arrived for the long weekend, yet?" She asks, changing the subject. Mulan nods, releasing the poor boy's hand.

"She and her girlfriend." Mulan says. Anna's eyebrows rise into her hairline. Mulan laughs. "That was my reaction! Apparently they met in one of the extracurriculars her university offers. Goes by Merida, I believe." She absently waves to the stairs. "They're both unpacking if you want to go see her." Anna bolts up the stairs, leaving her flustered mother to shout, "Just please, for the life of you, _knock before barging in_." Mulan glances to Kristoff, shrugging at the odd look he gives her. "Expect the worst so you don't walk in and see something you don't want to see." Kristoff grins, and Mulan narrows her eyes at him. "But if you and Anna don't use protection, so help me God, I'll cut your balls off with a pair of rusty scissors."

* * *

The lifetimes started getting easier, after that. Some were decent, some not so decent and others downright disastrous, but they were getting better.

Soon the effects mortal lifetimes had on Kristoff—re-purifying his tainted energy range—started the same miracle with Anna. Over time her demonic link decreased, her black wings began to fade and her violent urges subsided.

Then, in one memorable lifetime, her demonic link severed altogether. She wasn't welcomed back into the angelic ranks, but she was granted a small celestial link to protect her from reverting back into Red Sunshine. That was enough for her, finally feeling what she had missed for so long.

After that, Elsa and Anna remained in heaven, Elsa as a member of Truth and Anna as a mere pure soul, free to wander the same ground as the discipline-less. They were happy, content.

After a time they both returned to Earth for another bout of mortal lifetimes, and they were good. They had their rough patches like human lives are bound to have, but they didn't contain the misery of the ones before them.

Through these lifetimes Anna's safe energy range started expanding again. At first it re-granted her angel status, and then it grew enough for her to choose a discipline. She chose Harmony.

All was well—truly, it was—but then hell laid siege on the mental territory in a force that hadn't been seen since before Anna's fall from grace.

And it was bad.

It was so bad, in fact, that they begged Elsa to fight in the Justice vanguard, despite the lapse she suffered that caused her to be removed from their ranks in the first place over a thousand years ago. She would have refused—she wouldn't have been much help by seeing demons as souls instead of unwelcome furniture—but, she found, she held no love for the creatures of hell. Yes, they were souls capable of making their own choices just like everyone else, but they had no right to advance into regions that didn't welcome them.

As one of the only archangels from another discipline who was capable of doing it, Elsa took up Justice's banner and fought alongside her old team of Mulan, Shang, Merida and Kristoff, who had regained his strength and taken her place on the team. Together, she helped them demolish the incoming herd one fiend at a time.

Anna isn't happy with her, but Elsa doesn't blame her. How can she? Anna's probably scared of losing Elsa the way she herself had been lost, except it wouldn't be reversible. The blond isn't a threat like Anna was; still is. Despite her current safe-range, the power of an elite archangel still thrums in Anna's veins. It would be celestial suicide to use it without first purifying her lingering taint, but her potential is still a very real threat to the devil. With Elsa . . . there's no need to careful. Her celestial side would be permanently burned out without a second thought.

Elsa shakes her head, discarding the line of thinking. It really isn't the time to concern herself with such things.

Shang flexes his hand, eyes flicking over the massing army just at the edge of sight. Mulan glances at the mental territory itself, gauging the taint by the colour of the sky, the clearness of the air and the tint of the ground. It's how one can tell who owns the region, if the oppressive or liberating sensation alone wasn't enough.

Kristoff merely stands by Elsa's side with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Hans is the rumoured head commander of this round." He says.

"An elite on the field, eh?" Elsa whispers, glancing back at the army of angels behind her, knowing from experience that none of them stand a chance if that's the case. Hell, even archangels need to team up to even the odds. "Are the Justice primaries on stand-by?"

Kristoff nods. "Along with an array of archangels. Justice doesn't want to send in the primaries if they don't have to – they're only meant to be deployed under one circumstance, and I'd very much prefer Satan remain content in hell. It's not like a good number of archangels can't handle an elite – we just have to be careful."

Elsa hums. It's true – Anna was the only Fallen who needed Justice primaries to take her down. No Fallen or demon by birth, like Hans, has rivaled her strength since. No one except the original Fallen and king of hell, that is.

"Hans is still a background manipulator, not a front-lines kind-of demon." Elsa says, narrowing her eyes at the expanding reddish-black taint affecting the mental territory in front of them. "He's smart. Smart enough to know to stick to his strengths, at least – which isn't fieldwork."

"He also knows when nobody expects him, and when to appear to strike a death blow." Kristoff murmurs, jaw clenched in memory. Elsa stares at the twitching muscles for a second, wondering.

Ever since celestial connected human experience some angels subjected themselves to, certain actions or objects mean something a little different. As if by having a celestial awareness in a human brain brought a human viewpoint into their angelic lives. It doesn't affect their logic or their pureness, but it does alter one's perspective, if only slightly.

Or maybe not so slightly, considering it's what allowed Elsa to realize that, souls or not, demons had no right to encroach on unwilling territories. The mindset gave her the strength to purify the beings of hell, even if they're unwilling.

In a way, it makes Elsa wonder why other angels don't see the same thing; or maybe they do, but their heavenly nature doesn't allow them to follow through the necessary actions. A touch of human logic helps overcome that reluctance.

Thankfully, human emotions don't come with that package. What a disaster that would be.

"Did you fight Hans before?" Elsa finally asks. Kristoff chuckles, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement.

"During my original time in Justice, he was nothing more than the overseer of eternal torture." His smile fades. "I was more referring to Anna when she was Red Sunshine. She was a great actor. Obviously insane, but uncanny at hiding her intentions. I never saw her coming."

Elsa nods. Even she still falters at the memory of her twin flame as a raging red monster, black wings fluttering in excitement at the scent of golden flaked silver angelic blood. She'd almost been turned into a Fallen by her hand.

"They're preparing to assault." Merida says, teleporting in front of them. She was the scout this time around. "There are a good twenty-five commanders, all on the top end of the high demon power scale, each with at least three high demons under them. We're going to have our work cut out for us if we don't call for reinforcements."

"Calling is unnecessary." A new voice says. The team glances over, seeing a standard vanguard group of four approaching them: Hercules' team.

"Thank you." Mulan says, shaking the closest archangel's hand in the new vanguard group. "I'd rather keep the casualties to a minimum, and that's easier to accomplish with additional archangels on the field."

"We felt the same." Tarzan agrees, glancing out at the approaching forces. "Their jump-and-run vanguards are going to start teleporting in soon."

"And we'll be within your army to protect them from that." Hercules says, before Mulan's team can offer. "You five are the charge leaders in this battle. We'll stay with your angels to protect them from surprise attacks and the higher demons, so just worry about taking down the biggest threats before they can wreak havoc." He rolls his shoulders, celestial energy solidifying his hands in the form of Greek style swords. "I suggest you make the first move."

Elsa doesn't need to be told twice.

In the blink of an eye the blond is in the middle of the demon horde, pulsing out enough celestial energy to purify the commanding demon in front of her and all the lesser fiends in a five meter radius. A quarterstaff solidifies in her hand as she dashes further in, the white weapon flashing with celestial energy with every foe it strikes.

Elsa watches as fiends, minor demons and middle demons alike wither and disappear under the power of heaven's energy. Within seconds, Elsa and the rest of her team have carved five separate paths through the enemy force.

The blond hums an upbeat tune under her breath, matching her speed and her faster-than-sound attacks. It's a distraction that helps her forget angelic conditioning when vague human logic fails her – which it often does.

Demons are souls, as are the Fallen. It's not right to choose their destiny for them.

It's not right to let them do the same to mortals, either.

Elsa hums louder, wishing she could fall back on her Justice training of regarding the beings of hell as unwanted or outdated household items. But she can never go back to that mindset, not after all she's been through with Anna.

_Anna was different, though_. Elsa thinks, distracting herself. Anything to help take her mind off the light she's pouring into the unwilling. _Anna wasn't broken completely. She couldn't be, not without becoming a real threat to the devil and his seat of power. The rest of the Fallen have been warped to be like demons, and demons are_ —

She stops her thought, because demon's _aren't_ incapable of feeling positive emotion; they _can_ , but they've been trained to hate it through torture and conditioning. It _is_ possible to train a demon to be good, but it's just that – training. With a lot of time and effort—at least ten times more than what Elsa invested into Anna—a demon are capable of truly change their ways, but it's not entirely likely. It'd be like a lower class demon trying to turn a Justice primary; unless the elite angel was already having inclinations towards the darkness—in which they wouldn't be in the field of duty, anyway—the demon's efforts would be in vain.

Elsa spins her quarterstaff, slamming it into a commander's chest, and sending him tumbling. If that attack had landed on any lesser demon on the field he would have been purified instantly. The light is stronger than the darkness, after all.

The demon snarls at her, but Elsa laughs and continues humming, countering the commander's attacks without thought.

Lost in a rage at Elsa's laughing, the demon fails to notice Merida appearing behind him, and he takes the full brunt of her celestial blast.. Elsa goes back-to-back with the woman as she solidifies a bow, not bothering to watch the demon commander disintegrate.

"Overwhelmed?" Elsa inquires, slamming the butt of her quarterstaff into the ground and purifying the hordes of fiends and demons around her.

"Five of the commanders concentrated themselves and their forces on me." Merida responds, unleashing arrows in a blur. "I may be good at close quarters, but I certainly don't like doing it. Too much fancy hand work."

Elsa chuckles, swinging her staff into a fiend's jaw. His body disintegrates before it hits the ground. "You could take to the sky." The redhead snorts.

"And make myself the biggest target on the field? No thank you."

"Well, I'm going to head to a different area of the field if you insist on staying here. No need for both of use to be in the same place unnecessarily."

"Works for me." Merida allows. "There's a piece of the army north of us that hasn't been affected by our assault yet. Go give them heaven."

No sooner than the redhead finished, Elsa teleports to there. She grins at the commander in front of her and snaps her quarterstaff into his face. Celestial energy ripples out, shredding his allies around him and sending their forms hissing out of existence.

The demon roars, the unpurified half of her body twitching with rage. It's a chilling sound, but nothing can affect Elsa quite like fighting Red Sunshine had.

"There's a human saying." Elsa murmurs, avoiding the half-monster's attacks and countering with deadly precision. "Something about living in eternal hell for wrongdoings, as if that's the worst fate imaginable. But it's not, is it?" Elsa sharpens one end of her staff and plunges it through the commander's chest. The blond smiles. "It's going to heaven, gaining celestial morals and having to deal with the deeds you'd done under demonic influence." The demon's eyes widen, fear flashing within their hollow depths. "Good luck." Elsa whispers, pulsing enough energy into the tip of her staff to purify the commander.

For a second Elsa closes her eyes, and takes a breath.

Every soul is meant to learn their lessons over time and under their own will, not forced to see something before they're ready.

The next second Elsa continues fighting, desperately trying to believe in the human logic that allows her to fight as she is.

A devilish screech comes from at the of the horde; Elsa snaps her head to the noise.

The source is an eleven foot beast with leathery black skin and sharp blades protruding from its form.

_A pet of the devil_. Elsa muses. _How unexpected_. Turning her staff into a sword, Elsa teleports to the beast's shoulders and stabs it through the neck. A blade erupts from its skin; slicing inches from Elsa's face and sending her teleporting away in a flash.

The beast's beady black eyes snap to her before it howls to the heavens, setting Elsa's teeth on edge. It's howling is cut off by an arrow to the jaw, before a spear lodges into its chest.

The beast snarls, readying to charge, when both celestial weapons explode, blasting a thick purification haze.

The beast emerges from the purification with smoking skin, the fumes reeking of volcanic ash. It roars in pain and ire.

That doesn't discourage the archangels, who continue striking with precision at the creature's most vulnerable points.

Elsa blows her hair out of her eyes, impressed by the beast's fortitude despite the attacks. Then again, she probably shouldn't be – the devil's pets are subjected to unimaginable horrors. It's one of the reasons celestial forces try to take them out first on the odd occasion they appear; they take _forever_ to purify.

The beast erupts into rays of light merely feet from the front-lines, felled by Hercules.

"I really don't like those things." Shang huffs, spearing a nearby fiend and marvelling at how quickly it purifies in comparison to the thing they just took down. And Elsa's brain agrees that that creature was indeed a _thing_. She'd be able to sense a soul in it, tainted or otherwise, it if wasn't.

"I'd be worried if you did." Hercules says, slicing through multiple demons. "You three continue causing heaven in their ranks. It makes my team's job of protecting your lower angels a lot easier when you lot are drawing the focus of the more powerful demons."

"On it." Shang says, gone in a blink of an eye.

Elsa simply teleports to another area of the field, emitting a purifying shockwave. The two demon left standing whirl to face Elsa. The blond smiles, changing her sword back into a quarterstaff. She picks up her humming again, dashing forward and smacking both demons in quick succession before they even realized she'd moved.

By the time they do, she's already prepared a counterstrike, bringing down one of the high demons. The remaining demon eyes her wary, taking on a defensive stance. Black energy characteristic of a demon by birth slides over his skin.

A tainted sword slides through her from behind.

Elsa blinks, staring down at the tip of the blade protruding from her chest. The feeling makes her groggy, but she still manages to teleport away, landing square in the middle of the angelic forces. The blond collapses to her knees clutching the wound on her chest, watching her golden flaked silver blood drip to the ground. Her thoughts are hazy, disconnected. She knows she should heal herself, but the knowledge is gone as soon as it arrives.

She comes to her senses gasping, a troubled Tarzan hovering above her with a glowing hand.

"Relax." He says. "I've healed most of you, but I'm still trying to get the liquid taint out of your system."

Liquid taint. A demon's version of poison.

Elsa grits her teeth, Anna's anxious warning ringing in her mind.

_I could lose you forever_. She'd said, pacing. _This is_ war _. Angels Fall during times like these, and I don't care if you're an archangel or not, because I took down a lot of you when I was among hell's ranks_.

_You were an exception_. Elsa had calmly refuted. _Not all demons or Fallen can overwhelm the light. The darkness is naturally weaker to us – like how a candle can instantly brighten a room, despite its size_.

_Not all_. Anna had agreed. _But some . . . other than Satan there was no one who truly rivaled my strength, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of worthy competitors – even for an archangel like yourself_.

Maybe Elsa should have taken the time to ask for specific details instead of merely heeding the warning.

"Who got you?" Tarzan asks when he finishes, pulling Elsa to her feet. The blond sways uneasily for a moment.

"I'm not entirely sure." Elsa confesses. "One moment I was facing off against a high demon, the next there was a sword through my chest, from the opposite direction. I couldn't even sense anyone there." She frowns. "I think we have an elite on the field."

"Which elites use poison?" Tarzan wonders aloud, gazing in the direction of the horde, mostly blocked by fighting angels.

"Probably the ones we never see." Elsa answers, condensing her celestial energy into a quarterstaff. "Send out a warning—"

Elsa falters on her feet and collapses, painfully grasping her chest. Without her focus keeping her staff solid, it disintegrates into thin air.

"Elsa!" A muffled voice shouts.

_Advanced taint poison_. Elsa thinks, pondering how the taint could go unnoticed. _How intriguing_.

Then she's screaming and clawing at her hair, attracting the attention of the startled angels around her. Tarzan tries healing her again, but Elsa gets the feeling that it's too late.

" _Anna!_ " Elsa finds herself screaming, wanting nothing more than her twin flame comforting her with sweet nothings, even if she knows they aren't true.

She's been tainted, just like her other half feared.

Mulan, not so much hearing a cry of distress but feeling it in her bones, teleports to the origin of the signal. She stares down at the blond in horror, watching the archangel of Truth writhe in pain. She glances to the equally distressed Tarzan, trying his best to heal whatever ails his fellow angel.

"I don't understand!" He says, his eyes wide. "I removed all the taint, I swear I did! I scanned her system three times just to make sure. How can this be happening?"

Demonic energy pulses outwards, sending the lower class angels flying in all directions. Hans stands at the source, a crooked grin on its face. "This is happening because I'm interested to know the result. I've been hiding this particular invention for longer than you could imagine, waiting for a prime opportunity such as this."

Elsa cackles, throwing her head back in hysterical—if panicked—laughter. It reminds Mulan of Red Sunshine when she was captured, and the resemblance scares the archangel.

Hans chortles, but it's a dark, grating sound. "Look at her; she's taking so well to the taint. How much residue had to have been in her system to achieve that, do you think? I think the thousands of years she's invested in Anna's recovery might have done it."

Anna's name snaps Elsa's priorities in order, because she stops screaming and fighting the taint. She pushes to her feet and turns to Hans, an un-angelic like scowl marring her features.

Hans frowns. Elsa takes in a breath and barks a laugh. It isn't a pure sound.

"Your energy tastes a little more foul then I suspect it should. What's wrong, are you scared? You should be."

Mulan pales. Only tainted energy can taste the way Elsa is referring, and if it's already strong enough for her to pick up abnormalities, then they're in trouble. Mulan sends a distress signal up to heaven, even though she already knows the battle is being watched with keen eyes. They need someone to help the blond archangel before the taint worsens.

Rapunzel, a Health primary, appears in the field. She must have been on stand-by.

Before she can even raise her hand, Elsa launches herself forward in a shockwave. In less than a blink of an eye, both she and Hans are nowhere to be seen.

"By the light, I purify you!" Elsa's voice echoes back to them, from an unseen direction.

A screech from the other end of the field signifies another devil's pet has joined the fighting, and reminds the Justice vanguards that the battle is still being waged.

"Don't worry about Elsa or me – go fight." Rapunzel says, her wings snapping into existence. "I was a celestially linked human enough times to defend myself upon necessity." She leaps into the air, forming a shield around her as she scans for Elsa's presence.

It takes an uncomfortable, unnecessary extra few seconds to locate the platinum blond's energy signal. She grits her teeth upon realizing why.

Elsa's soul isn't purely celestial, anymore.

_How can taint spread that fast without being manually administered?_ Rapunzel wonders, transporting to the fighting duo and separating them with a blast of energy. She pins them to the ground with celestial restraints, her wings flashing out of existence when she rushes to Elsa's side, quickly falling to her knees and setting about healing the taint twisting inside her.

Elsa, screams in both agony and relief.

Hans bellows in anger, his demonic energy spitting. His body, even protected by clothes, hisses and smokes at the proximity of celestial energy to his skin. A smart part of Rapunzel's brain realizes the look of fear in his eyes as one only a worthy competitor could garner, but the elite archangel doesn't care. She's not a part of Justice; her goal isn't to fight, it's to administer healing to all that need for it.

Hans' black magic hazes out like smoke, making the angels surrounding him back off. Rapunzel seals the elite demon in a dome. The last thing she wants is for him to taint anyone else.

A shockwave of celestial energy slams into Rapunzel, and she glances up in shock when she recognizes the signature. She'd know that energy anywhere.

"Anna, go home!" Rapunzel shouts, her chest clenching as the redhead approaches their position, her eyes locked on Hans' struggling form.

"Let me out!" The demon hollers, struggling against his bindings. "I don't care about the archangel you're healing anymore – just _don't let her near me_ and I'll retreat the entire army!"

"Anna." Elsa croaks, reaching out to her. Anna blinks and glances to her twin flame, her instinct to purify Hans dissipating.

The redhead scampers to her partner's side, holding the platinum blond's hand as tightly as she dares. "Hey." Anna whispers, forcing a smile. "How are you doing?"

"Been better, obviously." Elsa chuckles, wincing. "I should have been more careful."

Anna shrugs. "I was watching. He hazed in and out quicker than you could have registered it; he's a shadow type demon, after all. They're meant for flying under the radar." She sends Hans a look over her shoulder, making him wince. "It's incredibly hard to catch one." She murmurs, pushing to her feet. Elsa tries to stop her, but their hands slip apart before she can. The redhead steps up to the celestial barrier. "Hello, Hans."

The demon tries to hide his fear through a cocky smirk. "Why hello, Anna. You know, I never thought you could be more infuriating than you were as Red Sunshine, but you've proved me wrong. You as an uptight, know-it-all angel is even worse."

Anna frowns. "Angels are incapable of being uptight or know-it-all's."

"That's what I mean!" Hans cackles. "By Satan, you're so insufferable. At least when you were a demon you had a range of emotions less binding than the monotone you carry now."

Anna's eyebrows fall into an unamused line. "I won't rise to the bait; you know I won't. Why are you even trying?"

Hans' eyes darken and a twisted grin splits his face. "Who said it was you I was trying to bait?"

The angel's eyes widen in fear and she whirls. Elsa snarls and fights against her bindings, a frantic Rapunzel trying to regulate the taint.

"Not everything is about you, you know." Hans chuckles.

"What type of poison did you use?" Anna clips, the muscles in her jaw clenching. As a primary, the small amount of liquid taint introduced to Elsa's veins should have been easy to extract. So why is Rapunzel struggling?

"One you're not familiar with, I assure." Hans says, uninterested.

"Release your barrier on him, Rapunzel." Anna grits, turning to face the man. "I'm going to purify his soul." Hans' eyes light with fear.

Rapunzel hesitates. "You used to be a Fallen, Anna, and as a celestial being you're only an angel. It's not safe for you to fight an elite demon."

"Who said I was planning on playing fair?" Anna asks, and it's a genuine question. "With the new poison this _shadow_ has created, he's put the lives of all celestial souls into jeopardy; but I know him." She turns, staring at Hans with a cold logic of an angel that scares him to pieces. "Hans is extremely private with his work. He even admitted that this is a new invention he's had sitting in his vault, waiting for a prime opportunity to use. I'd bet my link with heaven that he's the only one who knows how to make it, so what happens to the recipe when suddenly Hans isn't on the devil's side anymore?"

Rapunzel nods, slowly. "Okay." She allows. "But I'm calling in the Justice primaries to do it."

Elsa roars and rips at her restraints, the taint within her hissing at the wrists.

"No!" She screams, fighting even harder when two primaries teleport in, approaching the now accessible Hans. "Let me! I want to kill him! He doesn't deserve heaven! Hans! Hey, Hans!" The demon, even in his fear of the approaching elite archangels, glances to the blond. She sends him a smile. "I'm going to crack open your skull and eat your brains, just so I know you're dead."

The familiar phrase sends a chill down Anna's spine, and she glances desperately to Rapunzel. "We need to get her off this battlefield." She insists. "We need to get her away from Hans and this war. The darkness is too tempting, here."

Rapunzel winces. "We can't bring Elzima back to heaven." She says, sending Anna a look so pitying it turns Anna's blood cold. She doesn't need to ask what the Health primary means. There's only one reason a being is not allowed on sanctified ground.

Elsa's lost her celestial connection.

Anna stumbles over and falls to her knees beside her raging twin flame. She barely recognizes her. The redhead swallows harshly. "She doesn't have black wings though, right?"

"Not yet." Rapunzel says, jaw clenching. "Whatever Hans injected her with is something of a conversion poison. First it weakens, then it makes the angel Fall and, while the angel is in mourning, it converts their soul to accept demonic energy in the same quantity it once accepted celestial."

Hans screams in the background, crying out bloody murder as the two Justice primaries start purifying his soul in chunks. Anna ignores his anguish.

"So she's . . .?"

Rapunzel nods. "But as long as I can stop the full conversion and we can keep her away from the depravity of hell, these effects can be reversible. It won't be easy, but it's doable." The elite archangel sighs. "I need to call in more Health primaries, just in case. I can't risk not being able to put a wedge in the conversion and her celestial side being burned out forever."

Anna nods and moves out of the way, vaguely aware of Hans disintegrating. She doesn't find any joy in knowing he might live in eternal, suffering by having to deal with his actions since birth from a newly acquired heavenly point of view. It saddens her as an angel, even though it was his doing that might rip Elsa away from her forever.

While it is possible to purify a Fallen in the same regard as a demon, it doesn't have the same effect. A Fallen quite literally gets its soul shredded to is reborn again. And since Anna and Elsa had never met before, Anna can only assume this has happened to Elsa before. Possibly to both of them.

Anna covers her mouth and squeezes her eyes shut.

It takes uncountable centuries to redevelop a reborn soul, and they never remember who they were before it happened.

"Please save her." Anna pleads.

It's never been easy with them, but hopefully this time they can actually make it work.

Anna glances at her cackling twin flame, cruelty flaring in the blond's eyes.


End file.
